Ian Dresari
by DragonRiderNinja
Summary: Ian Dresari a Ketarian Warrior defeated in battle when the Yeerks led by Vissor Six invaded his planet he and the remaining free members of his race escaped to earth where he waits for his vengeance by joining the Animorphs Read & Review
1. Prologue

My name is Ian Dresari

And so were on the same page I might as well make this clear even though I live on your planet Earth and look just like a human. I am not human I am one of the last surviving free members of the Kentarian race of Kentares Four. But to know how I and the remaining free members of my people came to be on your planet is to know what happened to our people.

It was years after the war for my planets freedom from Steiner Rule with the aid of my cousin William with the massacre of my family with the exception of my sister Johanna. I was returning home from the clan wars as a decorated Mech Warrior after my father sent me away. It was not long after my mother died and my father heartbroken for a while until he found comfort in another woman but gave her up for the love of his son who swore would never forgive him for betraying her memory.

Throughout my training and the Clan Wars I finally came to forgive him and hoped that he had forgiven me for what I had done. Upon my return I found out what my cousin had done. So me and a band of loyalists to my father with my uncle Peter set out to free our home planet while my sister from a second resistance.

Not knowing until almost a year of hard fighting that my sister was alive and me and my lance mates destroyed several key targets. Until finally we reunited at the capital and during a well-planed raiding mission at a key armory my sister was nearly killed. Against her wishes I went into the battle and pulled her and her people out before she could be captured and killed.

Then we launched a full out attack on the palace and during the battle my cousin and I faced off in our Battle Mechs. In the end my vengeance would not be denied and William died in the fight. The celebration that followed came with the people calling for me to be the new Duke. I turned down the position to my sister saying that she would do a far better than I ever could then left to free the rest of the commonwealth from Katrina Steiner and finished my father died for.

With the commonwealth back no longer under Katrina Steiner's vise grip and my cousin Victor return to the throne. When I returned to home it showed that my sister had grown to be the greatest Duchess the ever ruled our planet.

It was a beautiful day and I was in my home I was reading a book on my day off from the defense network. Then my comlink activated and a 3-D holographic image of my second on command appeared above it.

I looked over the top of my book as he looked at me. "Ian we need you now we got something on the screen that you should see. Will you please come and see it?" he said, and I sighed and closed my book memorizing the page number.

I left my house got into my hover car and drove to the defense network to see what was so important. When I arrived I saw that the entire place was abuzz with activity and some stopped to salute me. When I reached the central hub the most active of the lot my friend Alan came up to me.

When he reached me he saluted and shook my hand. "So what's the problem?" I said.

He arched an eyebrow. "What no hello just straight to business," he said.

I chuckled. "Sorry just habit so what's up?" I asked, again as we walked to a planetary satellite viewing screens.

He leaned on the holographic image from the satellite camera. "Two hours ago we detected several ships approaching the planet. They stopped at the edge of our defense network but unfortunately we can't get a clear image but we suspect they're Yeerks," he said, and I looked at him.

Remembering our offer to aid the Andalite's in their war with the Yeerks and their refusal. I looked back at the images, which was extremely fuzzy of what looked like three or four ships.

I looked back at Alan. "Lunch a Wolverine heavy fighter let's see if we can get this image sharper," I said.

(Our fights are classified by how many missiles they carry four: light six: medium ten: heavy more: assault.)

Ten minutes later the image came into focus as the gun camera came into focus and I leaned closer. The ships were very large and kind of spiderish in shape with three legs and jellyfish like tentacles. But they weren't the only ships up there; there were ships blacker than the night.

"Sir, are you seeing what I'm seeing," said, the Wolverine pilot.

I looked at Alan. "Yeerk Mother ships and Blade ships," I muttered and he nodded.

I pressed the comlink. "Yeah we see it keep in the defense satellite network and do not fire unless fired upon," I said.

"Yes sir," she said.

I turned back to Alan. "Let's move to yel…," I started to say.

"SIR ITS A TRAP I HAVE BOGGIES DECLOAKING INFRONT AND BEHIND ME I'M TAKING FIRE REPEAT I'M…." the pilot said, then her comlink went dead.

The radar screens suddenly showed twice as many big ships and thousands of Bug Fighters decloacking in the defense network.

"RED ALERT ACTIVATE PLANETARY DEFENSES LAUNCH ALL FIGHTERS GET THE MECH WARRIORS TO THEIR MECHS," I yelled then darted out of the building.

Last I heard as I exited the building was that the Yeerks were getting through with minimal losses. I jumped into my car and sped off to the Mech bay where my lance was stationed.

I grabbed my gear and put it on as I ran into the bay and Carl my head engineer who was with me with the resistance and was with my father before me. My father always said, give Karl a hundred tons of steel wool and he knit you an Atlas overnight. He was an elderly man with a balding head and mostly gray beard and mustache but the parts weren't grew were solid black.

"Sir Ian I've out fitted your Madcat Mk II best I could in the short time for you to get here but some of the weapons are still not completely ready for use," he said, to me as we jogged up to the foot of my Mech.

I chuckled. "You getting slow there Karl?" I said, as we stepped onto the lift.

He shook his head. "No I'm getting to old for this sir," he said, as we ascended to the cockpit.

I shook my head looking at him. "You never but I want you and Elise in the bunker just in case ok," I said, as I climbed in and put on my helmet.

(A Mech is like a walking tank on two legs with a rotating torso with weapons on the torso)

I started activating the Mech and the instruments started to hum into life and I looked and saw my lance mates starting theirs up.

"Omega one this is Omega four what we up against?" said, Terra Risner my forth lance mate.

I sighed and adjusted my mike. "A Yeerk task force last I saw they were slipping by our defenses with minimal losses," I said.

"HOW DO THEY KNOW HOW TO GET BY OUR DEFENSES?" said, Jules Gonzales my second in command.

"More to the point why invade us were keeping out of this war," said, Jen Maquarie my second Lance mate.

"Hey maybe it's the scenery," said, my third.

"Don't joke about this Casey this is serious. What's the status of our fighters?" asked, Damon Squire my last lance mate.

"Last I heard they were dropping like flies," I said, they got the signal that we were ready to go.

I put my Mech out of crouch and it rose up to its full height then I put it into gear and it toke a few steps forward. "OMEGA LANCE FORM UP ON ME!" I said.

They quickly did and we exited the Mech bay just as the bug fighters dropped into view and separated some heading for us.

My eyes went wide and I turned as far as I could in my chair. "EVERYBODY GET OUT OF THE HANGER NOW!" I shouted into my mike but too late.

The fighters fired their Dracon beams, which launched into the Mech bay, which exploded right behind us.

I turned back to the fights still coming at us. "GET TRACK ON THOSE DAME FIGHTERS AND TAKE EM OUT!" I yelled as my missiles locked on and I fired.

The fighters exploded and suddenly the sky was full of them even ours. For hours the battle for Kentares IV raged. But all too soon it was just me and my lance was all that was left of our forces and for every Bug Fighter that we destroyed a swarm toke its place.

Then slowly one by one my lance mates Mechs were destroyed and I was all alone on the battlefield. As I destroyed another two Bug fighters one of the Blade ships descended on me. I looked at the ship shaped like an old battle axe fired its weapons and one by one my weapons were taken out and my Mech disabled after I got a few shots off.

I sat in my Mech then suddenly a holographic face appeared in my emendator. It was a mouth less and stalk eyed face of an Andalite. It and I looked at each other for a few seconds and I knew who it was: Visor Six the only Andalite Controller.

'Well, well who is this lowly Ketarian on this baren battlefield' he said, to me then his normal eyes narrowed.

'No ordinary Kentarian MechWarrior for it it none other than Commander Ian Erik Dresari. What an honor you're a legend among the stars. Tell me how many of our fighters did you destroy was it six or eight before the battle ended?' He asked me.

I smiled. "I counted more along the lines of four hundred Visser," I said.

He laughed in my head. 'The very last Ketarian fighting in this battle for your planet. Yes we have overwhelmed our entire forces with minimal losses to our own. Face it Kentraian you and your people have fought well and valiantly but you have lost and will mean my very promotion. And with your advance technology we will become unstoppable.

But before I kill you Ketarian and ensure my victory I will promise you this. When we have your pitiful planet and add your people to our ranks I will personally see to the capture of your dear sister and oversee the placement of my most faithful lieutenant in her head. I hope that she will resist so that I may have the pleasure of hearing her screams' he said, to me.

Anger boiled in me as I grasped a lever by my seat. "Visser you better hope I die today because otherwise YOU'LL NEVER BE RID OF ME!" I shouted at him.

He laughed again in my head, 'We shall see Commander' then his head vanished.

I looked up and just as the Blade ship fired and I pulled the lever. Under the cover of my Mech exploding my escape pod fired backwards and landed hard on the ground. After the ship left I pulled myself from the wreckage clutching my broken arm.

I spun at the sound of footsteps and saw my lance mates coming to me and I sighed in relief that they had survived. We made our way through the battlefield with the survivors joining us and we made it to one of the nearest space hangers. Once inside we freed some prisoners, which included Karl and Elise.

We then stole some ships a Talon Class Drop ship and a couple of freighters full of supplies Fighters and Mechs. He toke off under fire we left knowing that they would have our technology and our families but they wouldn't have our planet. I looked out the forcefeild window at the disappearing ground knowing that it would be the same the next time i saw it as i closed my eyes remembering the conversation me and Johanna had a few weeks ago.

_"Ian we both know that a war with the Yeerks is inevitable whether we like it or not," Johanna had said, as we had had dinner together._

_"but to activate the planetary self-destruct?" i had demanded._

_She looked at me with her deep brown eyes it was surprising that she was younger than me. "If the Yeerks move against us and our forces fall they will modify our beautiful planet in to as close as they can into their own. You know this, the refugees that come to our planet for aid and the stores they tell pain you i see it in your eyes every time. We owe it to our people and the generations to come to do what we can to preserve it as best we can and you also know that the two of us are the only ones who can disarm it._

_The system requires both our retinals, DNA, and voice print passcodes that only the people at this table know so even if the Yeerks infest one of us they must have the other or else the system will overload. Besides the fleet knows what to do if the planet is taken and in the destruction of the planet you wrote the procedures after William invaded with the Steiner forces," she said._

_"but they never found the body," i said._

_She placed her hand on mine. "we can't dwell on that forever Ian but what we do for our people here and now is what matters but will you help me protect our planet or for our people?" she asked, me._

_For a long time I looked at her until finally nodded. Hours later the system was activated and the council was notified._

We made in to space Bug Fighters hot on our tail as we stopped and pick up a fighter escape pod.

Just as we were making the jump into hyperspace a planetary laser hit us and we were unaffected and made the jump. As we traveled through hyperspace all of us were silent our mind on what had happened as we attended to the wounded. Then learning that the pilot we had picked up was a member of the house Steiner I almost threw him out the nearest airlock thinking he had betrayed us to the Yeerks.

But the matter was quickly resolved when he said, he was cut off from his family and reminded me that we need every man or woman that we had. So after that we traveled in silence wondering where we should go. After searching the data files we decided upon a planet that was like Kentaries except for a less powerful gravity in many ways and had a race that looked just like us: Earth.

We set a course and came out after a day and a half of traveling through hyperspace our ships clocked to avoid detection. When we landed we were in shock because the people that our people had observed as not the people we met. The laser blaster had affected us we had gone back in time by about five thousand years.

We quickly adapted to hide among the human race and as the years passed we also learned that their sun's rays were affecting our bodies. We first took notice when Karl and some of our elders was getting younger and we quickly understood why. The suns radiation had affected our aging process by either reversing it or stopping it completely we were immortal on Earth from natural causes of death.

So we lived among the humans keeping out of their history's way as much as we could. In the continent of North American we built an underground base that could house our entire population. But despite that knowing that one day I would face Visser Six again and knowing that I couldn't use that fleet codes or try to stop that battle of Kentaries IV from happening I traveled the Earth.

I learned from the people how to fight in various ways each one under a new identity. Some identities started with some of our newer technology making me look younger and got accepted into families. Like in England when one the only known of my adventures when I took the role of Robin of Locksley with Julies, Damon, Casey, and Terra taking part and learned that Casey was my half-brother and Terra and me fell in love.

Then around the early nineteen eighties by human standards after the Ketarian battle we were married but then around 1984 she vanished. I was divested and looked for her for four years finding no trace. Then in 1996 as I was celebrating our anniversary at the base with the usual bottle of alcohol this year scotch and a some videos of her and me when someone knocked.

"Go away," I said, holding another full glass the bottle half-finished as I watched our wedding video.

"Ian it's me," came Jules's voice.

"You what day it is," I said, through my door draining the glass in one draft.

"They're here Ian," he said, and I dropped the bottle as I started to refill.

It shattered on the floor and the remains of the drink going everywhere. "What?" I demanded.

"The Yeerks are here," he said.

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	2. The Deep Breath Before the Plunge

I dropped the glass as the cleaning bots hovered out of their compartment and I rushed toward the door running my fingers threw my dirty blonde hair. I grabbed my blaster hip holsters, which held both my blasters. They looked like the human Glock but the barrel was cut short with the blaster emitter and the power mag right in front of the trigger guard.

I pressed the release button on the side, the door slid into the wall, and Jules stood in front of me. He was as tall as I was and what humans would say African decent with a baldhead and a mustache and a small goatee under his lip as he and I walked down the hall me snapping on my gun belt and buckling the holsters to my thighs. As we ran down the he looked at me with his dark worried and thoughtful eyes.

"Ian you can't keep doing this to yourself Terra wouldn't…," he started.

"Who knows what she would want she's been gone thirteen years Jules," I said, as we entered the command center.

It was flooded with activity as people ran from console to console with holographic images above the consoles. Jules and I ran over to a manned console, which showed the readings of one of our planetary sensor satellites. It showed a flurry of activity as two groups of ships sped toward each other while the larger ships hanged back and as I got near Jen, Casey, Klaus, Elise, and Damon arrived.

Casey and me looked a lot alike with the exception that he was a little shorter than I was. He also hand shorter hair and not as broad muscles. He had been the sniper of the group until I had become a better shot.

Jen his wife for the past twenty years also had blonde hair that for the last ten she let grow down to her waist. She had a kind face with light blue eyes that could turn fiery when in a fight. In my lance, she was my sensor lance mate and was always noted for her quick reflexes.

Damon who was once under my sister's command in the revolution but was transferred undermines. He as was big man with a lot of muscle on him with dark hair and eyes. Before he had a thick beard but he shaved it a few centuries ago mainly to please his wife. Before he had joined either mine or Johanna's forces he had been one of my father's Intelligence Opps and my sisters body guard but he was still a very capable MechWarrior.

Klaus was as tall and muscular as I was with blond hair and was now my commander of our fighter core and had grown to be one of my closest friends. He had a light mustache and beard that circled his mouth. He now also had a light German accent from the years he had spent there prior to WWII and WWI and he taught most of our fighter pilots including me.

Elise was my tactical officer and she never lost her touch over the centuries and had even grown better. She had long brown hair with light brown eyes that showed her intellect. Now she had on her thoughtful expression that she always wore when she worked on a battle strategy or played chess with me.

"Report," I said, to the console hand.

"Sir ten minutes ago we detected a Yeerk mother ship decloak in a very high orbit of the planet well beyond the human satellite. Then we also detected an Andalite Dome Ship come out of Z-Space and they launched fighters. Sir I think it's the _Galaxy Tree_," he said, and Casey and Jen looked at me.

I leaned against the panel looking at the image _Elfangor my old friend nice to see you on this side of the Galaxy_ I thought.

I looked at Klaus. "Did they find our ship dry dock and building yard in Mars orbit?" I asked him.

He shook his head. "No we don't think so but to be on the safe side they're on high alert and cloaked twenty four seven," he said, and I nodded.

Then the alarms went off and I turned back to the holographic screen a new ship had joined the battle in space and dread filled me when I saw the battle-axe shape of it.

"Computer identify," I commanded.

"Yeerk Blade Ship," said, the commuter.

As we watched the new blip converge with the Dome ship as they separated the dome and turned the face the Blade ship. Before the main body of the Dome Ship could face the Blade Ship, it fired its weapons destroying The Galaxy Tree and the shock caused the dome to fall into earth's atmosphere. We watched as the Andalite fighters were one by one destroyed then one detached from the battle and headed for Earth.

I pressed my finger on the fighter and more information on it came up. "Track this ship I'm going out to meet it let me know of its progress," I said.

Jules and me ran from the commanded center all the way to one of the exit hangers and I grabbed a long coat that was hanging up on a nearby rack. This one held land vehicles and I hopped on a 96 Kentarian tech supped up Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R. After I jammed, my helmet on Jules held up a metal wrist bracelet.

I looked at it then at him. "Karl wanted you to take this out if you were to go out tonight no matter what," he said.

I sighed and took it and after I placed it on my right wrist, it snaked all the way around my wrist until it became a complete band.

"I hope he knows what he's doing we haven't tested these yet," I said, as I started the engine and raced up the ramp.

I sped through the tunnel as I neared a solid Metrabolium (an alloy ten times stronger than titanium) wall it opened and I jumped it in open air and landed on the road. I looked through the side mirrors and saw the billboard and trees lower back into place. I raced through the city guided by Jen's directions.

I came to a stop at an abandoned construction site, tore my helmet off, and looked up at the starry sky. Almost immediately, I spotted the exhaust lights of the fighter and after putting down the kickstand, I darted into the construction site dropping my helmet on the ground and making sure my wristwatch com worked. My boots kicked up rocks as I ran through the site my coat billowing like a cape behind me and came to a skidding stop in the area the fighter had landed and it wasn't alone.

Five human kids were there. Three were white one looked somewhat Hispanic was and an African American girl. One girl had long blond hair one boy had short brown hair one boy had long black hair. The last boy had messy blond hair.

I watched as the hatch of the fighter opened and the pilot appeared in the door way and I crouched behind a low wall. I watched as he stumbled, one of the boys tries to grab him, and they circled him. Then after a moment…

_'I know that your there you can come out I won' hurt you'_ said, the Andalite.

_'I know'_ I thought, to him and I felt his surprise, as I stood straight.

_'Your voice sounds familiar and how do you know how to thought, speak?'_ He asked.

_'You'll know in a minute'_ I said, back as I started to walk forward.

As I stepped into the light and all four of his eyes turned on me and they were as wide as they could be. My eyes were wide two and I hoped that the kids would intrepid it as fear of an alien.

_'Elfangor stay calm humans are not ready to know yet,'_ I thought.

_'You're alive Ian how is that possible?'_ He asked me.

_'I'll explain later.'_

I looked at the teenagers around Elfangor and was amazed at how young they were they had to be at least thirteen. I listened as he explained about the Yeerks to them and how he sent one into the fighter for a cube and I knelt down next to him.

_'Are you going to do what I think you're going to do? Are you really going to break The Law of Seerows Kindness,'_ I demanded.

_'I don't have a choice Ian the Yeerks have a firm footing on this planet and if your people if you have any here attack. The Yeerks will go with an open invasion the only way is this to delay them you know this. And how did you come to be here?'_ He demanded.

As quickly, as possible, I explained and he smiled with his eyes. '_Once again Ian you have proven yourself worthy of your legend'_ he said, as the boy came back out.

"Here's the box," the kid said.

'Thank you'

"I, um… was that your family? That picture?"

_'Yes'_

"I'm real sorry"

Elfangor quickly explained about the morphing power and offered it to the teenagers. The girl named Cassie agreed almost immediately then the tall blond hair girl drew our attention back up to the sky. I looked p and saw the red lights of Bug fighters.

Then one by one, they agreed and pressed their hands to the cube then one of Elfangor's stalk eyes looked at me.

_You to Ian_ he said, and my eyes went wide and slowly I reached out and pressed my hand against to cube.

After a moment, I felt a pleasurable electric shock and the band on my wristband burned slightly and I felt weird. Then most of the teenagers after saying that they would stay and fight toke off at Elfangor's orders and warnings about a new Visser Three leaving me and the blonde boy behind. After a few seconds, the boy toke off, me and Elfangor remained, and with his permission, I acquired him.

"I've got to get you out of here my friend," I said, when I was finished.

He smiled. '_Ian my brother even if you get me out of here you know I will die of this wound. But if you want to do something for me take care of my son'_ he said.

I recoiled a little at this. "You have a son on the Andalite homeworld?" I asked, and he shook his head.

_'Not there here in fact you just saw him'_ he said, and turned one his stalk eyes.

I was too shocked to say anything '_his name is Tobias but don't tell him I left a letter but find his mother Lauren and tell her that I always loved her and I still do now GO!'_ He shouted at me and I bolted and joined the teenagers behind a crumbing wall and dragged one of the boys out of the spotlight before he was seen.

We watched as the Bug fighters landed on either side of Elfnagor's fighter then very slowly the Blade ship landed. When it opened out jumped Hork-Bajir and they were explained to the humans beside me then came Taxxons. Then out stepped an Andalite that has haunted my nightmares and flamed my will to live for the last five thousand years on Earth as I felt my anger burn inside me.

Visser Six

_'But now he's Visser Three I guess invading my planet really did get him that promotion' _I thought.

We watched helplessly as Visser Three stood before Elfangor and taunted him in front of his troops. I frowned when I recognized some of the things he said.

_'And I thought, we had something special Visser but I guess you say the same thing to every legend you take down,'_ I thought.

I pumped my arm when Elfangor struck him on the shoulder and destroyed one of the Bug fighters. In the light of the destruction of his ship, the kids and me saw what looked like people in the back.

"There are people over there"

"What are they prisoners?"

I shook my head. "No Controllers," I said.

Then I watched behind the wall as Visser Thee began to morph in a creature native to Kentaries's fourth moon and pluck Elfangor up into the air. The dark haired boy and me grabbed one of the other boys before he could climb over the wall a rusted pipe in hand.

After a moment, Cassie calmed him calling him Jake and we all watched as Visser Three opened his new mouth with razor sharp teeth. Then dropped him into it and my friend my brother in my heart Prince Elfangor died. His last scream of defiance against the Yeerks still echoing in my mind where it always would.

The Hork-Bajir started to laugh the Taxxon darted forward to gobble up what slipped out of Visser Three's mouth. Then I heard something, something that for some reason seemed really out of place but very familiar something that I had heard billions of times over the last five thousand years. Human laughter.

I heard one of the kids get sick, looked, and saw the dark haired boy throw up. I peeked through a hole in the wall and my eyes went wide as the closest Hork-Bajir turned at the sound and looked at our hiding place. Before I knew what was happening the kids bolted, I ran after them, and the Hork-Bajir sounded an alarm.

I was running to a boy I now knew as Jake just as he shouted for the group to split up and Tobias toke off with Cassie and the dark haired boy. Me, Jake and the blond girl after she got the attention of the Hork-Bajir darted off in the other direction. I was jogging by them when he stumbled and I darted past him.

I skidded to a stop ran off in another direction when he shouted at us to keep going. I ducked behind a wall, pulled out a pair of sunglasses, pulled them on, and pressed the side near the screw.

"Night vision," I muttered and I could see clearly in the darkness.

Then I pressed a button on my watch and a holographic image of Casey's head appeared. "Casey I need you and the others to get here and pick up four kids and get them to their homes I'll explain later," I said, to him.

He looked at me then nodded. "Well pick them up what do they look like?" he asked.

"Just look for four teenagers scared out of their minds," I said, then broke the connection.

I looked at one of the half-finished buildings and pressed the earpiece in the same spot again. "X-ray," I muttered.

The wall of the building was gone, I saw Jake dart into a room with a pair of Hork-Bajir, and three humans with a flash light close behind him. I jumped up to the roof and looking down followed him then at the earliest opportunity I grabbed the side of the roof and swung in through a window frame. I landed softly and silently right behind him as he tried to warn what looked like a homeless man on the ground and he sank into the darkness as the flash light beam landed on the homeless man.

I grabbed Jake from behind one hand over his mouth. "If you want to live you will be quite it's me," I muttered into his ear and he calmed down as I pulled him around the corner.

We heard the homeless man scream and a small scuffle then silence but I didn't let Jake go. Then after a few minutes, we heard the Hork-Bajir leave and the flashlights go with them.

"Wait here," I muttered and let him go.

I stepped up to the edge, looked around the corner, and saw nothing but the homeless man without his head. I stepped into the room and quietly walked to the man then as I reached him a light fell on me, my hands flew up, and I tore off my sunglasses to see. I saw two of the three humans and Hork-Bajir standing in the doorway flashlights bore on me.

One of the humans smiled. "We thought, we herd another in here and lucky for us we looked back in here," he said, and one of the Hork-Bajir looked at him muscles bulging.

I smiled. "Well aren't I the popular one," I said.

The other human looked at me. "You seem familiar have we met?" she demanded.

I looked at her. "Maybe, maybe not," I said.

"Enough take him to Visser Three," the other human said, and he and the woman stepped forward.

When they were close enough I roundhoused the man in the head then side kicked the woman in the gut. I dropped down and swept the man's legs out from under him after nailing him with a spin kick. Then faced the woman as she stepped forward Dracon beam in hand.

She toke aim at my head and I flipped back as she fired nailing the weapon out of her hand as the beam sliced through the roof. Then the man grabbed me from behind as the Hork-Bajir stepped forward and I was forced to one knee. They started slashing there arm blades at top speed making them blurs as they walked forward like they were like a pair of giant walking saws aiming for my neck.

"You hear that human that will be the last sound you will ever hear," he said, in my ear.

I gripped his arm. "My name pal is not human it's Commander Ian Erik Dresari," I said, and threw him forward over my shoulder.

He hit the Hork-Bajir in the chests just above their blurred arms and the woman stared at me, as I stood strait drawing my blasters.

She shook her head. "It can't be…," she stammered.

I smiled. "It is," I said, and activated my blasters and a small humming noise met my ears.

"Activate," I said.

I felt the band on my wrist expand down my arm and up my hand encasing it as it went past my elbow. It felt like slightly cold water was flowing up my arm then across my chest. It reached my other arms and the feeling crept down it. It incased my arm and legs when it finally stopped the process taking less than thirty seconds.

In that, time the man disentangled himself from the Hork-Bajir and stared at me. "We…. killed you… we killed you on Kentaries Four," he stammered.

My smile widened. "You did your best but I'm still very much alive," I sad then toke aim.

"Tell your boss Visser Three his days are numbered," I said, then turned to leave holstering my blasters then stopped.

I looked back at them still in shock. "You know what on second thought, I'll tell him myself," I said, then stepped toward them ramming my palms into the Hork-Bajir's chests.

They were launched off their feet and slammed into the wall and as the man was drawing his Dracon beam. I leapt on him kicking him twice in the chest then roundhouseing him in the cheek. I spun around as I landed as the woman picked up her weapon and turned it on me.

I grabbed her wrist back handed her across the face ridged handed her wrist held the weapon with an upward stroke. Then pushed her back with a double palm strike and nailed her with a spin kick. I then drew both my blasters flicked a switch were the safety would be and shot the man and the woman as I spun around then turned them on the Hork-Bajir who were just climbing to their feet.

They looked at me and I smiled replacing the switch in its normal position. "Good night," I said, and fired.

One fell to the floor with three holes in its chest the other rolled under the shots. I threw the blasters off to the side and grabbed its wrists as he brought them down toward my shoulders as he climbed to his feet. He looked down at me a smile on its beaked face then I started to squeeze his wrists.

He gave a howl in surprise of the force and his wrists broke under the force and tried to kick me with its taloned feet. I jumped over them and doubled kicked him in the chest and I heard his shoulders pop out of their sockets and he howled even louder. Then jumping over him still hold onto his now useless arms, I kicked him again in the back and he fell forward onto his chest.

I spun around, grabbed his head, and pulled it back hard. I heard his neck snap, I let go, and it fell to the floor not moving. I breathed hard and I picked up my blasters, holstered them, and put my shades back on.

I turned as I heard a gasp and looked at Jake gapping at me. "What are you?" he asked.

"No one to be mess with," I said, and he looked at the humans.

"You killed them," he said, and I shook my head.

Just then, both the man and woman stirred. Jake leapt back and I knelt down as they pulled themselves into a sitting position. They looked at me then scuttled back then with a look of complete surprise on their faces looked at their hands and started to cry.

"We…we... we're, we're free," the man said.

I nodded. "Do you either of you have a family a wife, a husband, or kids?" I asked, and they nodded their heads as the armor retracted.

From an inside pocket of my coat I pulled out a slip of paper and held it out to them. "I only stunned the Yeerks they're still in your heads so you have half an hour to get to this location. It will change in twenty minutes though so I suggest you hurry, when you get there give them this and tell them where your families are we'll get them to safety," I said, standing up.

They looked at the paper and darted out of the building and I grabbed Jake by his upper arm.

He looked at me. "We not out of danger yet let's go," I said, and pulled him back to my bike and we tore out of there.

After checking to make sure the rest were picked up, I drove Jake home with his directions. We came to a stop outside a house in a suburban neighborhood and identical houses and lawns. He hopped off my bike when we reached the right house and looked at me.

His mouth was gapping as I sat on my bike helmet on and I reached out and closed his mouth. "You were starting to drool," I said.

"What are you?" he asked, again.

I looked at the handle bar of my bike. "Sometimes I even ask that of myself," I said.

"That was amazing what you did back there," he said.

I smiled behind my helmet. "Thanks but I think for now some parts of tonight are better left forgotten," is aid as I pulled from a side pocket a small orb and I turned a tiny dial.

"I don't think I'll ever forget what you di…," he started but stopped as I placed the orb on his temple.

There was a humming noise then as Jake acquired a dreamy look then when I reached the point I removed the orb. Before he was out of the daze, I drove off and stopped at the corner.

I turned in my seat to watch him run into his home _get some sleep Jake tomorrow your whole world changes_ I thought.

When I got back to the base Jules, Casey, Klaus, Damon and Jen who bombarded me with questions about what happened greeted me. When I told them, they staggered back at the news of Elfangor's death. I then requested them to pull up any information on those teenagers we could get and returned to my quarters.

I restarted the movie and pulled out another bottle scotch and a glass when I got there. "So honey where were we?" I asked the holographic version of Terra.

**PLEASE REVIEW**


	3. The First Meet

I woke up late the next day sitting in my favorite chair the bottle finished and glass in my hand. I placed the glass on the coffee table and sat up rubbing my eyes trying to get the sleep out of them. I looked up at a knock on my door.

"Come in," I said, and Casey came in and sighed at the empty bottle.

"I'm in no mood for a lecture bro," I said, standing up and going to my kitchen to splash water on my face to help get over my hangover.

I heard him turn to leave but stop at the door. "Ian neither Terra nor Elfangor would want you to do this to yourself. And I'm saying what a brother should if you keep this up you'll kill yourself," he said, then left.

I turned to the door thinking about what he had said, as I went into my bathroom and took a shower then after getting dressed picked up the disc and went over to my computer terminal. I started to look up the teenagers from last night then hesitated and after giving it a moment's thought, stopped the search. Then after being told that they were sighted heading for Cassie's farm I left the base.

I dressed in some normal human cloths and weapon keeping the band on and drove out to the farm. When I got near there, I looked up at the barn and stopped seeing a police car in the driveway. I looked around then turned back looking at the cop and slid back a slot on the side of my helmet and pressed a button.

The cop came into clearer focus and was magnified and I released the button and pressed a second. The image turn to thermal and I focused on his head and I saw the increased body heat.

_A Controller_ I thought, and turned my visor to normal.

**JAKE**

Finally, the Policeman toke off.

"Ok rule number one," Rachel announced firmly.

"We don't do anything to attract attention. We have to be secret about everything. Especially morphing," she continued.

"Yeah it was stupid of me. It's just man! It's so amazing running like that…," Cassie started then turned at the sound of an engine.

We all turned and saw a red sports motorcycle come up the driveway with a single rider in a black sports helmet. He also wore a leather jacket with dark denim jeans and western style boots. He stopped in front of us with the bike facing us and put the kickstand down.

He killed the engine and looked at us through the darken visor of his helmet and I could have sworn I saw a small red light on the right side of the visor. Then he lifted his hands to his neck, unclasped it, and lifted his helmet from his head. He shook his head and his dirty dark blond hair fell down to his shoulders. As his jacket adjusted for his movements, I saw well-toned muscles on his arms.

His face was curved and very sharp with very handsome features. What really got to me were his eyes. They were a very deep blue but it wasn't the color of them it was the simple deepness it was almost as if this guy had suffered a lot and still was.

He looked at each of us in turn. "So did I miss anything?" he asked, and I started.

He smiled looking at his bike and leaning forward. "I guess we didn't have time for introductions last night," he said, and slowly climbed off his bike.

The five of us just looked at him and he looked at us. "Look I'm not Controller so you can relax," he said.

"How did you find us," Rachel demanded.

He looked at her. "I'm a part time PI I know how to find people and yours was the only high school in the district," he said.

"Prove that you're not a Controller," she demanded again.

He looked at her for a few seconds then unzipped his jacket and reached in side. I heard something being snapped and a second later, he drew a Glock pistol. We watched as he ejected the magazine, pulled back the slide, and showed a bullet in the chamber. He then after snapping it back into place and handed the gun to Rachel and he raised the gun until it was pointing over his heart.

For a moment, the two just looked at each other. "I won't stop you any of you I give you my word," was all he said, and lowered his hands as Rachel looked at him.

I saw Rachel's hand tighten and me and Cassie stepped forward. "Rachel don't if he was a Controller we'd all be infested now," Cassie said, as we stepped up next to them.

"Plus I doubt a Controller would put his life in the hands of his enemy," I said, looking from one to the other.

Rachel looked at Cassie then slowly twirled the gun until the handle was facing him. He exhaled and took it from her and returned it to his shoulder holster.

I breathed a deep sigh of relief as the gun was taken out of sight and he extended his hand to Rachel. "My name is Alac," he said, and they shook.

He shook each of our hands in turn and I was last to grasp his hand. "You got a death wish there Alac?" I asked, with a smile.

He looked at me with a pricing stare. "When you see things that I have seen you sometimes wish for it," he said, and my smile quickly vanished.

When we introduced our selves, he toke a seat on one of the bales of hay and watched us as I turned back to Cassie.

"How did you morph with clothing? When Tobias and I did it… well, let's just say that it's a good thing neither of you girls were around," I said.

Alac stifled a laugh and Cassie shrugged. "It took some practice and it can only skin tight. I tried it with a coat on it got shredded I don't know what we'll do in the winter," she said, Alac looked at her with a strange look.

"That's not going to be a problem. Because there isn't going to be anymore morphing," Marco said, and Alac gave him a side look.

"Maybe Marco is right this is too big for us we're just kids we need to find someone important to tell this to. Someone we can trust," Rachel said, and Alac gave him a side look.

"We can't trust anyone, anyone could be a Controller we tell the wrong person we are all dead. The whole world would be doomed," Tobias said, and Alac looked him almost with a small smile.

"I don't want to stop morphing do you realize all we could do with this power? We could communicate with animals, maybe help save endangered spices"

"Humans maybe be the next endangered spices"

"What do you say Jake"

"Me? I don't know Marco's right we could get killed. Rachel's right this is too major for a bunch of kids…. but Tobias is right too. I mean the whole world is in danger and we can't trust anyone"

"So what do we _do_?"

"Hey it's not up to _me_ to decide"

"Let's take a vote"

"I vote we do what the Andalite said…fight," at this Alac looked long and hard at Tobias.

"You've never even been in a fight you can't handle the punks at school. Suddenly now you want to kick butt on that Visser Three freakazoid?"

Tobias said, nothing but blush and Alac stood and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I vote with Tobias I wish we could dump all this on someone else but we can't"

"Let's think it over for a while it's a big decision. I mean it's not like we're deciding to whether to wear jeans or a skirt," Cassie said.

I was relived. "Yeah let's wait for a while in the meantime no one say anything to anyone. We just go back our normal lives," I said, then turned to Alac.

"How can we find or contact you?" I asked him.

He looked at me with hard eyes. "You won't I'll find you," he said, as he stood and picked up his helmet.

Me and Marco left together on our bikes and he looked over his shoulder at Alac who was getting back on his bike. "That guy is crazy," he said.

I looked back at him. "No I don't think so it's more than that he's just seen a lot of terrible things," I said.

Marco looked at me. "Did you see how he looked at us it's almost like he was analyzing us or something," he said.

I looked at him and nodded.

**IAN**

I drove out of the farm driveway past Marco and Jake who I noticed were keeping an eye on me.

_They probity think I'm crazy or something and they do have a good reason why did I do that_ I thought, thinking of when I gave Rachel my gun.

As I was about to drive into the city my helmet beeped and I sighed. "Activate".

Casey's face appeared on the screen. "Ian how long do you plan to stay out there?" he asked, me.

I smiled at him. "However long I choose to why?" I said.

He sighed. "well that couple you sent to us last night are looking pretty week it looks like their Yeerks are dying I thought, you might like to interrogate them," he said.

I looked at him for a second. "I'm on my way," I said.

I quickly drove down town and rocketed down an alley near the end I flicked a switch on my bike handle. A second from collision the wall slid to the side and as soon as I passed, slid back into place. I sped down the tunnel, which had a steady down slop until I reached the hanger.

I climbed off my bike and Casey, Julies met me there, and they led me to their cell. When we got there, I saw the man and woman and the man from last night in their cells sitting on the floor. I noticed that small beads of sweet were covering their foreheads.

I looked at Casey. "Must have caught them on day two did you take care of those orders I gave this morning?" I muttered to him and he nodded and whispered onto my ear.

I picked a clearance badge from security and pinned it to my chest then walked into the cell. They looked up at me as I pressed a button on the wall and a chair slid out along with today's paper. I sat down and opened it to the sports section wondering about Anaheim's chances at the cup.

After a moment. "What do you want Ketarian?"

I looked at the man out of the corner of my eye. "What do you think I want Controller information," I said.

"And what makes you think we're going to give you any?" the woman demanded.

I folded the paper in half reading an article in the hockey section then pressed my elbow on a button in the wall.

"Authorization code," the computer said.

"Dresari 007 Alpha Tango 481," I said, keeping my eyes on the paper.

From the wall slid a small pool with molten red liquid inside and I saw the man and woman out of the corner of my eye acquire a shocked look.

I smiled as I turned the page. "Because you're hungry oh darn the Bulls lost last night," I said.

As I was reading about the game, I saw them creep up to the pool and start to lower their heads closer to the surface. As they tilted, their ear toward the pool there was a flash of light and they recoiled.

"I didn't mention the force field that's over the pool that needs a second access code how silly of me," I said, turning the page.

They glared at me. "What do you want to know?"

I folded the paper on my lap. "Oh not much just where does Visser Three sped his days? How does he sleep at night? Where's the Main Pool? The Kadroena? Any news on The Katarian fleet? Where one can get a decent pizza?" I said, and they stared at me and Casey doubled up in silent laughter outside.

They looked at each other then back at me. "And what makes you think we' tell you any of that?"

I shrugged. "Hey it's your call but either way I get what I want to know from your hosts after their free this time tomorrow," I said, placing my elbow on my knee and my chin in my hand looking at them.

They looked at each other then back at the pool then at back at me. "Tick tock tick tock…," I said.

After that they really looked pissed by they started to sing for me and Julies, Casey, and me were a splendid audience. When they were finished, I thought, about what they said, for a little while. After a moment, I looked back up at them.

"Is that all? You didn't say where the Kadrona was or on the Katarian fleet," I asked.

They nodded. "That's because we don't know Visser Three has tight security over the Kadronea and the only people who know where it is, is him and the ones who guard it. As for the Katarian Fleet we haven't seen it anywhere they have been running and hiding all over the galaxy," they said.

I nodded. "Computer access code Bravo Echo 11," I said, and they rushed to the pool.

They lowered their ears to the pool and I watched as the Yeerk slug like bodies started to slither out of their ears. We watched the gray mass slowly move out of their ears and drop into the pool. At once, the humans shoved themselves away from the pool whipping away at their ears.

They looked at me. "You had better get them away from us before we kill them," the woman said.

I smiled and pressed the button with my elbow again and the poll retracted into the wall. "We assigned quarters to you and we also picked up your families this morning. Oh by the way did you know that your sister is pregnant?" I said, and the woman's eyes went wide and she ran right into the force field and was thrown onto her bum.

"I guess not," I said, as I helped her up and frown at Casey who was laughing like a Hyena now.

**PLEASE REVIEW**


	4. Young But Strong

I rolled behind a pillar as the Dracons vaporized my last hiding place my blasters on either side of my head my armor shining in the light. I waited a few seconds then I turned and a blaster on either side and fired them and the advancing Hork-Bajir. Some fell with bloody holes covering their chests.

Then darted off to the side firing as I went and holstered one as I saw some Taxxons coming at me. I grabbed an orb as I flipped over them pressed a button and dropped the orb into the Taxxons who fired at me. I rolled forward as I landed and ducked behind a crate and covered my head.

I still felt the explosion and I heard the sickening sound of the remaining Taxxon guts hitting the wall. I looked at the back of my hands and I saw pieces of a Taxxon covered them.

In revolution I gave my hand a couple of shakes. "Disgusting," I muttered.

Than at a sound my head shot up and a seven foot tall Hork-Bajir who was pointing a Dracon Beam at me. My legs shot up from under my knocking the Dracon beam from its wrist then launched myself feet first into its chest and I felt his ribcage collapse under the blow.

I flipped and on its chest and I drew m blasters again pointed them to my side only to have twenty Hork-Bajir surround me weapons at the ready. I closed my eyes knowing what was about to happen.

"Simulation terminated Mission Status: Failed"

I holstered my blasters as the holograms disappeared and the combat scenario dematerialized. Jen met me at the door and walked with me as I stormed down the hall people saluting me as I went. She was silent as I barged into my rooms and she toke a seat picking up a picture of Terra and me as I went into my bedroom.

I threw my gear onto my bed and changed as quickly as I could and my anger and threw a towel over my sweating body. Before I left a holo-picture of Terra and me in combat training gear caught my eye. We had an arm over each other's shoulder and were laughing at our success in training.

I closed my eyes remembering that day the day before she left. I slammed my fist into the farm of the door and left the room. Jen was still there and I plopped myself on my sofa.

I rubbed my face with the towel. "Look if you're going to say something Jen just say it," I finally said, under her gaze.

She put the picture down. "Ian there was time you could do that mission in your sleep. And yet you failed it time and again today like some of our rookies what's on your mind. Is it Terra? Elfangor? Those teenagers?" she asked, looking concerned.

I looked away. "Maybe a little of all of the above," I said.

She sighed. "Ian maybe we should modify their memories of last night make them forget it…," se started.

My head snapped to her. "No! And I don't ever want to hear that suggested again Elfangor choose them and I trust his judgment," I said, standing up and walked over to lean on the mantel piece.

"What do you mean he choose them?"

I looked up to a holo-photo of me and Elfangor not long after he had been made a legend and a War Prince. "He gave them and me the power to morph Jen," I muttered as I looked at the photo.

"_He broke The Law of Seerow's Kindness_," she stammered and I nodded.

"But why do that we have forces here…"

I turned to look at her. "Then Visser Three would have a green light on invasion by force Jen. We aren't ready for that especially protecting the humans at the same time twith the few soldiers we have here. If it was a contest of strength who do you think would come out on top? No like their invasion the resistance against them has to be done quietly to.

Tonight I'm going to the zoos and acquire some animals for combat and such I want our people in the field to move to a constant yellow alert. Also notify our human allies they should be on their guard. And not to trust anyone and to come in in a moment's notice," I said.

After a moment she got up. "Yes sir," she said, then went to my door and pressed the release.

I heard he stop before she left. "Out of curiosity what animals were you thinking of?" she asked.

I looked at her. "Some I thought would fit me," I said, and after a moment she nodded and left.

That night I crept along a habitat of a Zoo in Central America keeping to the shadows of the night looking for my first stop. I crouched behind a bush as I scanned the dark surroundings for him.

_Come on where are you? You mainly come out at night to hunt so where are you?_ I thought, then…

GRAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR

I spun around and saw my quarry sprint at me threw the darkness his black and white pelt making him look like a ghost. I watched him take a few bounding steps then he started to slow as I held my gaze on his eyes. When he reached me he gave a light roar and swatted the air between us as I didn't move and my gaze didn't falter then slowly he gave a low moan and sat back on its haunches before laying down.

I took a breath as I gazed at the White Siberian Tiger at my feet. I couldn't help but admire his beauty, as reached out and lightly ran my hand along its face. As I ran my hand over the soft pelt I acquired its DNA.

As I started to remove my hand from its face I realized just what was happening and what I was doing. This animal's strength was becoming a part of me. This ten feet and eight hundred pounds of nothing but nothing but muscle, claws, and teeth.

"Thank you brother tiger may your strength serve me well in the war to come and no hard feelings," I said, then quickly and silently left the Tiger pit.

That night I acquired ten other animals that I thought, would help in the war to come some I had to fly to other countries to acquire them. When o finally got back to the base I was so tired that when I fell into my bed I went straight to sleep. My dreams were all of a faceless voice always saying the same thing. "You make a choice of vengeance or something more."

I woke a couple days later feeling tense like something was going to happen today or tonight. I spent the morning looking over my photo albums that toke up three shelves of one of my book cases. Some of them contained old fashioned human photos some were holographic Kentarian.

I stopped on a holographic image of them during their Robin Hood adventure nine hundred years ago. I smiled remembering Damon's beard and I looked up at the objects me and Terra had decorated the walls with. She and I went with a kind of war and peace theme along with artifacts from the past and around the world.

He looked at each swords and bows that he wielded until the human race invented gun powder. I also looked at the symbols of peace that we mixed with them and I know that you probity think that's pretty idiotic. But for one who lived for the past five thousand years I've learned to see the balance that it also represents.

My eyes traveled to the mantel piece to the Katana on an antler sword stand very slowly I climbed to my feet. I walked to the mantle and handling the sword like it was made I of glass I lifted it from the stand. I cradled it in my hands then in a blur of motion I twisted it around grasping the handle and slowly drew the sword from its sheath.

As I examined the blade Damon came in he leaned against the frame as he looked at me. "I remember when you got that sword what was his name again?" he said, as he stepped closer.

"Miyamoto Musashi," I said, returning the sword to the sheath.

He nodded smiling. "Yeah I remember him dame he was old," he said, sitting down.

I chuckled and leaned against the mantle. "Damon you and I are old he was young," I said.

He nodded. "I guess you have a point," he said.

I picked up my albums and returned them to the shelf. "Ian some of our people have been taking maybe we should modify…," he started.

"As I told Jen before Damon I trust Elfangor's judgment in this matter and besides there's something about these kids," I said, looking at a portrait of George Washington.

"There just kids Ian and human you and just about every man, woman, and what few children we have here know that most of the actions that human takes leads to some form of destruction," he said.

I turned and looked at him. "Were Ketarians any different Damon?" I asked, him.

He opened and closed his mouth for a few seconds then gave up and I smiled. "Humans are a young race that we have seen grown. We have witness their capacity for good and courage that we have hardly ever seen in any race including ours and the Andalites.

Our race is a proud warrior race that values Peace, Life, and Nature as well as Valor and Righteousness. And while we have lived on this planet for five thousand years we have watched over this race by hiding in plain sight. And we all know that most humans nine times out of ten would choose to do the right thing," I said.

He nodded. "Yes I know this Ian but this is too big for these kids," he said.

I nodded. "you may be right my friend but from what I saw that night and the other day they are by far wiser and braver then they could possibly imagine and I trust them with my life," I said.

He sighed and stood up and headed for the door. "By the way there school gets out in half an hour maybe you should meet them," he said.

I watched him go then held the sword with both hands returned it to its mantle and placed my palms together and bowed to it. Then after a moment I left and went to the hanger and hopped on my bike. When I was out of the base the first thing I did was grab a slice for lunch then drove to the high school.

As I waited I leaned on my bike wearing my shades eating my slice of cheese pizza one of the few culinary items that humans can make in mass production just right these days at least sometimes. When I finally spotted Jake coming out with Rachel. I noticed he spotted me and the two detoured on the way to the bus.

When they reached me they put on a smile. "Hey Alac how are you?" she asked, me acting like we knew each other for a long time.

Finished the slice and nodded. "I've been good how's your mother it's been awhile since we went to school together I was sorry to hear they got a divorce," I said, as we grasped hands.

She kept the face right but I could see the surprise in her eyes then I shook Jake's hand. "Your mother wanted me to pick you up today," I said, to him and handed him a helmet.

As he took it I muttered in his ear. "There's a mike in it we can talk freely," and he nodded understanding.

He got on my bike and I hopped on in front of him pulling my helmet on and we drove off him gripping me around the waist.

"How did you know all that?" he demanded of me.

I chuckled. "I told you I'm a part time PI it's my job so anything new?" I asked.

"Were meeting everyone at the mall I'll tell you there"

"Then let's get moving," I said, taking the turn off for the mall.

We rode in silence as we came to a red light as we waited I felt his eyes staring at the back of my head. "What's on your mind?" I asked, him.

"Last night we went to a meeting of an organization called The Sharing have you heard of it?" he asked, and I nodded.

"Yeah I've heard of it it's like some sort of Boy's Scouts right?" I said, as the light turned green

"Yeah we found out it was really a front for the Yeerks their using it to recruit Voluntary hosts. And there's more my brother Tom he… he's a…," he faltered.

I closed my eyes a tear flowing before snapping open. "I'm sorry Jake I truly am…," I started.

"Don't Alac you can't possibly understand how I feel so don't even try"

_That's where your wrong Jake I do know how you fell all too well_ I thought.

We soon came to the mall and I parked my bike and he and I walked in side with him right beside me and my arm over his shoulder so it won't be suspicious. I looked around at the familiar sights of shops and advertisements and the smell of the food court in the next level. With a smile on my face I scanned the crowed with my eyes and I looked at Jake playing a big brother figure.

"So how long do I have you before you have to meet your friends?" I asked, arching my eyebrows.

"Rachel wanted to do some shopping with Cassie and Marco wanted to look at a new game. But Tobias said, something about picking up something for his cat Dude so why don't we just go to the food court I just need junk food at the moment," he said, getting my drift.

We walked to the food court and the first thing he did was head for the end of the line and I followed. When we reached the cashier his tray was full of fast food like nachos, pizza, burgers, chips, and cookies. It dwarfed my three slices, milk, and desert.

I leaned close. "Ah, sudden sweet tooth?" I asked, him.

His eyes darted around and lean close to my ear. "Look Alac I morphed a lizard today and the only time I could get control is after it ate a live spider. So if it's ok with you I'll eat what I like ok…," he muttered lower than a whisper as he took out his wallet.

I put my hand over it. "I completely understand and this is on me," I said.

When I paid for our feet we got a table to wait for the others to arrive. As we sat together and I started to eat I noticed that a lot of people seemed to be looking at us.

I looked at a couple kind of nervous. "Jake what are they…," I sated then looked at him.

It became obvious at once he had started to gorge away at the food on his tray and I grabbed his wrist.

He looked at me a piece of pizza dangling from his mouth. "What part of low key and table manners don't you understand?" I asked, and let him go.

He looked at me for a moment then returned to his food and thankfully this time he went slowly. I looked around and was relieved to see that people started to look away and started to eat. Soon we were joined by Rachel and Cassie Rachel's arms carrying a couple of shopping bags and Cassie smiled at me.

Marco then soon came with Tobias and we all sat together doing our best to make our meet being coincidence. Then as Jake was finishing his nachos he told the rest of us what had happened when he morphed into a lizard. I listened closely at the discovery of an entrance to the Yeerk pool and the screams he heard coming from it.

I listened to them as they discussed what to do and Marco being Marco.

"Marco you can't just ignore what's going on"

"Sure I can all I have to do is remind myself that hey guess what? I don't want to die"

"Do you think any of us want to Marco?" I asked, him then finished my apple.

"I don't think Marco is being selfish just the opposite he's thinking of his father about what would happen if Marco…," Cassie said.

"He's not the only one who's got people to worry about I have a family we all do"

"Not me its true nobody gives a rats rear about me," Tobias said.

"I do," me and Rachel said, and we looked at each other in surprise.

"Look I'm not asking anyone to go with me but I have no choice I heard that scream today. And I know Tom is going down there tonight he's my brother I have to try and save him. I have to for Tom."

I looked at. "You won't be alone I'll be there beside you," I said.

"I'll go with you for the Andalite"

"There's no one else who can do anything to stop the Yeerks I'm scared to death just thinking about it. But I'm there"

Marco shot Jake a dirty look. "This is bad this is so bad if it wasn't for Tom I'd walk away," he said.

"Look Marco you don't have to—. "

"Oh shut up! You're my best friend you jerk like I'm going to let you go face all this alone? I'm in I'm in to rescue Tom that's it then I'm done"

We all turned to Cassie next to me and Jake she was looking at the people. "you know back in the old days I mean the realold days the Africans, the early Europeans, the Native Americans… they all believed animals had spirits. And they would call on those spirits to protect them from evil.

They would ask the fox for his cunning, the eagle for his sight, the lion for his strength. I guess what we're doing is sort of basic even if it was Andalite technology that made it possible. Were still just scared little humans trying to borrow the mind of a fox and the eyes of the eagle…or the hawk," she said, smile at Tobias and I looked at him.

In a second I understood and nodded.

"And the strength of the lion just like thousands of years ago we're on the animals to help protect us from evil"

"Will there strength be enough?"

"I don't know it's like all the basic forces of the planet Earth are being called into battle"

"Nice story Cassie but were five normal kids up against the Yeerks if it we're a football game who would you bet on? We're toast."

"Don't be so sure were fighting for Mother Nature and she's got some tricks up her sleeves"

I nodded _an't that the truth_ I thought.

"Good grief let's all go buy some Birkenstocks and go hug some trees"

We all laughed at this.

"Cassie is right about one thing the only thing we have going for us is this animal morphing thing. And so far the only morphs we've acquired is a cat, a dog, a lizard, a hawk, and a horse. I think we need more firepower we should head for The Gardens. We need to acquire more DNA from animals that are not going to be easy to acquire"

"Yeah I don't think the Hawk, horse, and lizard team is going to impress the Yeerks. Rachel's right I think we have to head to The Gardens we need to get help from Mother Earth's toughest children. Can you get us in?"

"I can get in free you guys will have to pay but I can use my mom's employee discount so it'll be cheaper"

"Not me but I'll come along," I said, and they looked at me.

I shrugged. "I had a case in another city and at night I snuck into the zoo and acquired some animals," I said.

"Oh I'm sure we could talk them in to letting us in for free just tell them we're Animorphs," Marco said, and we all looked at him.

"Tell them we're what?"

"Idiot humans with a death wish"

"Animorphs"

"It does have a nice ring to it," I muttered.

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	5. First Blood

We then separated and left for the Gardens, I met the others at the gate, and Cassie led us inside. We went into a building with the inside that looked like a rainforest then we went into the tunnels and Marco acquired his first morph. When we came to the cross roads we ran into security.

We separated with Marco and Jake going one way me and the others going another. We quickly lost security and we continued to acquire morphs I even got a couple more like a Jaguar, anaconda and bat. We managed to sneak out of the tunnels and we found Jake and Marco by the gates hunched over in the crowds.

When we were out of the park, we scouted the restaurants and picked the one with the most business. When we had our seats in a corner booth, we pretended to look at our menus as we made plans for tonight. We had just barely finished when the waitress started for us.

We got up before she reached us and started to leave. "Sorry ma'am we lost our appetite," I said, and tipped her a hundred.

I saw them to the bus and after I pulled off, I left and for hours just drove around the town ignoring my ringing com. I was aimlessly driving around and it wasn't until I stopped into the grass that I realized I had come to the cliffs overlooking the ocean. I smiled as I killed the engine and climbed off and walked to the edge and sat down on the rocks.

I breathed in the sea air as I looked out into the open water remembering all the times Terra and I had come out here. She always had a passion for the sea and the oceans of this planet. For a while, I just sat there looking out at the water then turned my head slightly at the sound of an engine.

Soon Jen, Casey, Jules, Damon and Klaus sitting on either side of me joined me. "You didn't answer your com link," Jules said.

"I wanted to be left alone," I said, as the sun started to go down.

"What's going on Ian we're your friends we of all people disserve to know," Jen said.

"Oh come on honey he's on such a good streak as it is," Casey said, as he placed his arm around her and she grasped his hand.

"We're going into the Yeerk Pool tonight and attack it," I said, and they all looked at me.

"You have got to be joking bro"

"Ian that's crazy"

"You could get killed"

"We need you here"

I closed my eyes from the masterpiece of a sunset. "They need me down in that hell hole guys so I'm going. And I promise I'll come back to you all… but if I don't…," I started.

"Ian don't talk like that"

"...If I don't do me proud Casey and you to Jules," I said, and stood up.

They stared at me as I got to my feet climbed on my bike and took off before they could say another word. I drove to the High school were we were supposed to meet and parked my bike some distance away. I walked the rest but left my Glock and holster in a hidden back compartment.

Tobias soon arrived and after a little while, he ducked behind a brush and a few minutes later a red-tailed hawk landed on my shoulder. It and I looked at each other and I understood.

"You know you're going to have to demorph soon," I said, to it.

It cocked its head to the side. 'Until then I'm riding the thermals' he said, then took off.

I watched him fly around until Rachel came ridding up on her mountain bike and she looked around. "You alone Alac?" she asked, and I pointed up and she looked up and smiled.

Soon after Marco arrived then soon after that, Jake arrived and Tobias landed on Rachel's shoulder and we waited a moment for Cassie. After Tobias asked, if we were doing it we sunk into the science lab through a window that Marco said the lock was busted. After I helped Rachel in Tobias flew into onto the desk and Jake cracked open the door and looked down the hall.

Almost immediately, he drew his head back in. "there are people down there going into the janitor's closet," he said.

"Controllers I guess its dinner time for Yeerks"

We all gave a weak chuckle a very weak chuckle.

"How are we going to get in there?"

"Wait a minute do all Controllers know each other by sight? I mean maybe _we're_ Controllers right"

"So we just walk right on in like we belong there? Wonderful plan Rachel. I have a better idea—let's just kill ourselves now and get it over with"

I shrugged. "Sounds like a good plan to me," I said.

"Yeah maybe Rachel's right"

"Big maybe big maybe huge maybe how about Tom? He would know whether you were a Controller"

Jake and me looked through the crack again. "I think Tom's already down there besides the halls empty now. I guess they all…wait here comes someone"

Peering through the gloom, I saw the cop I saw the other day at Cassie's farm dragging a girl into the closet with him. My eyes went wide when I saw who it was and I looked down at Jake who looked away.

"Tobias I need to use your hawk's eyes"

Tobias fluttered to his shoulder and peered down the hall then looked at Jake. 'Yeap it's her' was all he said.

Marco and me caught Jake as he started to fall over. "They've got her they got Cassie," he said.

"Who has Cassie…how?"

"That policeman the Controller the one who came out to Cassie's farm the one who was at The Sharing meeting. He has her he saw her at the meeting trying to get close to the full members"

I stared at Rachel as she swore.

Finally, Jake stood by himself. "Okay we go ahead like Rachel said; we figure there are too many Controllers for all of them to know each other. I mean they add new bodies all the time we're new Controllers right?" he said.

"Oh man"

"You have a better idea?"

"No I think we go ahead we take our chances lets rock and roll"

"Okay then everyone act cool," Jake said.

Then he turned to Tobias. "Too late for you to morph back now but try not to let them see you".

So with my heart going like a mouse's we walked down the hall to the janitor's closet and closed the door behind us. I watched as Jake turned a hook and a faucet, the wall slid off to the side, and we looked at the opening. My blood turned to ice as I heard the distant screams of the hosts down below, the liquid splashing on the side of the pool; along with the worst sound, I could hear at that moment... laughter.

"You sure this is the Yeerk pool? I see a guy with horns and a pitchfork I'm outta here"

"We may not be going to hell but from what I can tell it holds a pretty close second," I said.

We stepped through the opening and started down the stairs and after ten minutes of a steady decent, "Some superior aliens, you think they would put in an elevator," Marco complained.

"What were you expecting Star Trek?" I said, then the walls widened and the pool came into view.

The cavern was enormous. It was carved out of solid rock, and filled with a city that had to cover half the city above with the pool a perfect circle a hundred feet in diameter in the center. With two piers over the molten red liquid swishing back and forth with the movement of the Yeerks below the surface, it and countless stairs like ours going off in different directions. The other building like storage, possible food places, other recreation, base equipment, along with earthmovers ready to expand the cavern. Off to the side I could barely make out was a group of humans, Taxxons and Hork-Bajir watching TV and sipping drinks.

"This is gigantic this isn't just under the school it's under half the town those stairways must lead up to dozens secret entrances. Jake they have this entire area set up with secret passageways. Oh man this is worse…this is so much wore…so much bigger"

Off to the side of the pool were cages for involuntary hosts of Humans, Hork-Bajir, Ralvactons, and other species that I could identify. But for the most part there were humans, hundreds of them all around the cavern and I hopped they weren't Katarians here as I suddenly realized my error for coming.

Jake patted my chest, I looked down and saw Cassie, and the cop had reached the bottom. I could see that she wasn't hurt just scared.

I looked at Jake as he said, "I'm going to morph I'm going to get Cassie away from him"

Marco and me put a hand on his shoulders. "Not time yet dude be cool," Marco muttered

'Cassie's okay Jake she isn't hurt just scared'

"He'd better not hurt her keep an eye on them Tobias"

I turned to look at the unloading station peir, we watch as a well dressed woman with the aid of the Hork-Bajir guard kneel down. We watched as something started to slither out of her ear that had been lowered to the pool surface. A Yeerk.

"No, no, no, nooo," Rachel muttered and I paced a comforting hand on her shoulder.

When the Yeerk dropped to the pool, the woman jerked up. "YOU FILTH! LET ME GO! LET ME GO! I'M A FREE WOMAN! YOU CAN'T KEEP DOING THIS! I'M NOT A SLAVE! LET ME GO!" she yelled as she was dragged to a cage and thrown in.

"HELP! OH, PLEASE SOMEONE HELP! HELP US ALL!" she started screaming as she grasped the bars as her voice joined the countless in their pleas for help.

After we watched the infestation pier where people's heads were forced under the surface. When they were wrenched up, we saw the last of the Yeerk slither into their ear and after a moment they calmed and walked away once more slaves to the Yeerk in their brains. From unloading to cage or couch, it was a speedy process.

Then the others spotted the voluntary hosts. 'Those are the voluntary hosts Collaborators'

"What are you talking about?"

'Remember what the Andalite said, many humans and Hork-Bajir are voluntary hosts. The Yeerks persuade them to let them take over.'

"I can't believe that no person would ever let this happen to them no one would ever give up control of himself"

"Some people are scum Rachel sorry to burst your balloon"

'The Yeerks convince them that taking on a Yeerk will solve all their problems. I think that's what the Sharing is all about. People believe that by becoming something different they can leave behind all their pain.'

"Like spending all their time as a hawk"

Tobias said nothing but spread his wings and flew away to that.

"Tobias! Come back"

"We have to get moving we've been standing here staring for far too long," Rachel said, and we started down again.

"Don't be a jerk to Tobias okay? We need everyone."

Tobias soared over us. 'Cassie she's on the pier the infestation pier they're going to turn her into a host' he said.

"Do you see Tom?"

After a moment, 'I see him'.

"Is he in a cage? Or is he…voluntary?"

'He's in a cage he's yelling his brains out at the Hork-Bajir guards.'

I sighed. "Okay time for us to separate whatever you do don't rouse suspicion to each other," I said, then we broke apart.

I was behind a building next to a door, peered around the corner, and saw Jake and Marco cornered by a man, a Hork-Bajir, and a Taxxon.

I growled in frustration. 'They need to work on their stealth skills,' I thought, as I withdrew my head.

"Hey who are you?" I turned and looked at two men who had just come out of the building.

For a moment, the three of us just looked at each other. "Take him," one said.

I smiled. "Hey guys a warrior seeks not battle but peace," I said, raising my empty hands.

They looked at each other confused then before they could react I, hook kicked one in the face and round housed the other. Before they could counter attack I was between them mule kicked the door closed the rammed my elbow into ones face then jumped up spinning kicking him hard in the cheek. As he fell, I kicked the other in the gut as I spun on my heel and after hooking him around the neck with my leg went down with him and knifed him in the base of his neck.

As I rolled off him, I focused on the morph, fur sprouted from my skin, my cloths ripped, and a tail sprouted from my behind. As I landed on my feet my feet burst from my boots and (I thanked myself they were not an old, old pair), as they became clawed paws. The gloom became as bright as noon as my hands became claws and the power, oh the power.

As the last of the changes took place I turned to see, the Hork-Bajir come at my friends and I jumped onto the building. I looked and saw that Jake hadn't been kidding about the Tiger pit and he and I had something in common in our choices of battle morphs. At the same time, he and I roared and the Hork-Bajir stopped dead in their tracks and looked from him to me.

We roared again and they bolted. I leapt from the building paws extended claws out right onto a Hork-Bajir and ripped down his chest. I ran off him, another slashed at me with his elbow blades, and it was like he was in slow motion as I ducked under his blow and nailed him across the face. I leapt onto a third and sank my teeth into his neck, he fell limp, and I jerked my head up and spat his throat out.

Then I lunged onto the back of another Hork-Bajir who was battling Jake in his orange and black tiger morph. The next few minutes he and I turned into a blur of claws, teeth and fur as we fought the Hork-Bajir tem being blurs of motion and the two of us were lightning to than them. Off to the side I saw Marco punching the Hork-Bajir with his giant gorilla fists and Rachel tossing them over her shoulder with her bull African Elephant trunk.

The Hork-Bajir took a couple steps back from us some still bleeding and I turned the blood from the last one still dripping from my mouth to face them Jake next to me. The two of us stepped forward and they took a couple steps back from us. We roared and they bolted in the other direction.

'Now! Before they get organized' Jake commanded.

'Gentleman and lady let's plow the road' I said.

So with Rachel on my right and Marco on Jake's left we went down the lane taking on any Yeerk dump enough to get in our way. When we reached the cages, the people shark back and I had to admit they had reason to do so as we weren't the kind of rescue they were hoping for. Under Rachel's guard, Marco ripped the lock off one of the cages and one by one, the humans climbed out.

'Jake! Alac! Look!_ C_assie!' Rachel yelled at us.

We looked and she was almost at the edge of the pier.

'Cassie is next!'

'Don't worry we'll take care of Tom go, go before they do it to her.'

He and I bolted for the pier dodging those who tried to stop us. Two Hork-Bajir grabbed her by her arms under the watch of a third.

"NOOOO!" she screamed as we leapt over some Taxxons practically flying.

Then letting out a scream Tobias shot down like a bullet and I saw his talons come forward. One of the Hork-Bajir screamed and let her go as he clutched where his eyes had been. She broke loose of the other one as we reached the pier and leapt up I drew back one paw as Jake took out the other one that had held her and as I passed him by slit the throat of the third with my paw thrusting forward.

After twisting around in midair, I landed low claws digging into the steel and sprang off onto the ground the pool behind me as Cassie yelled at the rest of the people to run. In front of me, two Hork-Bajir and the cop approached me weapons drawn.

'You wouldn't dare unless you want to die of Kadrona starvation I hear that's quite painful' I said, to them.

They looked at each other then holstered their weapons and the Hork-Bajir advanced. Leaping at them, I landed on one digging my claws in and biting his neck. Turning I slashed the other across the chest cutting him open before biting down on his wrist.

I then twisted him around and threw him into the pool where he floated face down and I turned to the cop. He spun away from me and bolted I went after him and knocked him to the ground with me on his back.

I leaned my tiger head close to his shaking head. 'Taking the girl was a very bad idea on your part, and I'm sorry but it has to be done,' I said, with a low tiger growl.

Before the Yeerk could bail in a flash of movement I clamped my jaws into the back of his neck and lifting him up gave a great shake until I felt the neck break. After letting the body drop to the ground I padded away. I saw Cassie's horse morph rise from the crowd and I joined her along with Jake and leapt over a line of Taxxons Dracons going off behind us.

As we landed, we looked at the others around us as we neared the stairs a small crowd surrounding us. Then from behind a group of Hork-Bajir, stepped Visser Three and a Taxxon scuttled up to him and screeched his high-pitched language.

The Visser looked at him with one stalk eye. 'This fool says that you are wild animals and wants to know if he and his brothers can eat you. Nevertheless, I know what you are so not all you Andalites died when I destroyed your ship' he said to us.

I stepped back in realization and understanding _he thinks were __Andalites_ I thought.

As I stepped further into the shadows I felt strange like I was about to be sick and Visser Three began to morph.

'What's happening to me?' I asked myself as the feeling got worse.

'I compliment you on getting this far but it will accomplish nothing because now my brave Andalite warriors its time, time to die. I acquired this body on the fourth moon on the second planet of a dying star, like it?' He said.

From his delicate but fierce Andalite body grew a creature that was as tall as a tree with eight three clawed fingered hands on many jointed arms. Eight massive legs and eight heads.

That feeling grew worse as I watched the Visser morph and the Hork-Bajir back away and the Taxxons drew close. In addition, that same sick feeling grew so bad that I laid my tiger body down as my vision came in sharper and more like inferred with red blobs around bodies. As the Visser's morph neared completion, the feeling vanished and I extend one of my paws only it wasn't a tiger's paw anymore.

I stared at it since it had now turned more like a human hand and scaly with the tips of my fingers being nothing but curved claws that shined black in what light hit them. On my elbows were horns that extended slightly out and I looked at the rest of my body it had under gone the same transformation with bulging long lean muscles. From my back wings flexed that looked like a mix between a flacon's and a bats and my tail yes my tail had seven spikes on it one on the tip the others on just below the tip on either side.

I stood up on my two four pointed feet heels arched high and my tongue felt razor sharp teeth had filled my mouth. I arched back extended my wings and opened my mouth and roared thrusting my body forward. With two flaps of my wings, I was air borne and I saw that the other Animorphs were on the run for the stairs as the Visser's morph pelted them with fireballs some humans and Hork-Bajir already recaptured or brought down from the bombardment.

One of the Visser's heads spotted me and hesitated as I banked hard toward him. I came down hard on him digging my claws in. He roared in pain and one of his heads took aim at me and nailed me on the wing I scream and launched myself skyward. Four heads continued to pet fire at the other Animorphs the other four were turned on to me as I zoomed around above him occasionally coming close to nail him with a swipe from my tail.

When they reached the stairs, Rachel stopped her Elephant body not adapted for stair climbing. As she began to demorph and climb the stairs turning, I dived and grabbed her around the middle. She struggled as I flew her up to almost the top before dropping her and looping around to rejoin the others.

When I got back Cassie only had two riders left and the last of the Hork-Bajor had fallen from the stairs on fire. I landed in front of Cassie and took a fireball in the chest that had been aimed at one of her riders. I roared in pain as I clutched my chest and looked down only to see a circular bruise as we were all bunched together as the Visser started pelting the stairs ahead of us.

Then I watched a single human charged Visor Three, brandishing his fists and was knocked down. Jake roared with all his might, leapt at Visser Three as I climbed the stairs, and used the distractions to put the fire out with my wings. We then all of us me in the air pelted up the stairs. I landed behind them as the Visser stopped his morph too big to fit and the two of us looked at each other.

'I'LL KILL YOU ALL ANDALITES! RUNAWAY IT DOESN'T MATTER! I'LL KILL YOU ALL!'

I folded my wings around me like a cloak and turned to leave when a thought, struck me 'Tobias'.

I extended my wings and started to turn back for him but over a hundred Hork-Bajir was coming up the stairs after us.

I hesitated before folding my wings back around me after darted past the door and closing it in their faces. I bolted it with whatever what was in the closet after ripping out the hook and faucet with the sink.

I stepped from the closet Cassie still bearing two riders the only people we freed Jake a burn on his side Marco a good cut on his upper arm and Rachel who was enough elephant that no one could tell that she was human. All of them were staring at me. I turned and started to walk away from them all my wings still draped like a cloak.

_'__Wait__'_

I turned and looked at them, as I did I caught sight of my face, and I froze just staring at it. I now had a wolf like snout with a barb under my chin with three horns extending from my ears. From the back of my baldhead that was perched on a semi long neck came a series of horns that grew smaller down my neck. My eyes had turned to a flaming red color with cat like pupils.

I took a few steps back my wings snapping back and I threw back my head and roared at the reflection. Then I darted down the hall at them and leapt over them grabbing the two riders from Cassie's back running as fast as my new body would allow and that was pretty fast. I burst through the door knocking one off its hinge and soared out into the night as the two humans screamed.

'_WHAT AM I?_' I demanded of the night.

After half an hour, I landed near my bike and after releasing the human's I fell to my knees hands on my head as the changes reversed. A moment later, I was me with a bruise still on my chest again and naked as the day I was born.

Standing with a moan, I looked at the man and woman who stared at me wide-eyed. "Um ok awkward, eh do you mind I'm a little on the shy side," I said covering myself as I shuffled to my bike and pulled from a bag some spare cloths.

After calling in a ride for one of them from one of our human allies, we drove off back for the base.

When we arrived, my friends and family greeted me hugs and thanks that I had come back alive.

When we parted, I looked over at the two humans as they stared around them. "I assure you, that you are safe here," I said walking over to them.

"What are you people?" the man asked.

"We're free Ketarians; this is our base here on Earth. We'll have to debrief later for what you know, but until then you can stay in some quarters we'll give you," Jules said coming forward, and after signaling, some men in uniform came forward and led them away.

When I told them most of what happened down in the Yeerk pool they were amazed at what Jake, Marco, Rachel, Cassie, and Tobias had done. For a while, we just stayed in the hanger me not talking about my transformation into that beast.

As we made our way back to my quarters, I stopped and looked down a hallway. "Look you guys go on without me I have something I need to do," I said then turned down an adjoining hall.

Stopping in front of a pair of thick metal doors entered a code in to the holographic keypad next to it and hissing the doors slid open and stepped inside. The walls were bare of anything with no doors of any kind leading out.

I soon came to a dead end ad I looked to the side. "Good evening Ann," I said.

A moment later, the wall in front of me vanished and the force field deactivated. In front of me was a room with a desk and woman behind it one hand under it as she operated a computer the holo screen floating just in front of her. Off to the side was a counter with a retinal, hand, voice, and DNA scanner.

"Sir please step up to the identification panel," she commanded.

I did as I was told and placed my hand on to the pad before I bent down to rest my upper face on a frame of the retinal and eye scanner. "Drasari, Ian, Commander, 007 Alpha Tango 481," I said as a stinging sensation came from the tip of one of my fingers.

After a moment, the computer gave permission to proceed and a key card slid out. I pulled it out and walked up to Ann's side her keeping a hand under the desk and her eyes on me. I slid the key card into a slot on the wall there was a beep and part of the wall slid inward and slid to the side. I stepped up to the opening and inhaled and stepped through, arch nothing happened.

I turned too looked at Ann as she finally relaxed and took her hand off her blaster. "Let me know when your finished sir," she said, as the door closed and I was sealed in.

I turned around to the computer in the room the only computer that held all our new codes and changed them regularly, all our forces, and a list of Ketarians still living in the human world as well as our allies. I walked up to the computer and pressed a button as a chair unfolded from under the desk. I sat down and powered it up the holo desktop.

After I selected the program I wanted and quickly typed up Jake, Marco, Rachel, Cassie, and Tobias's names in as a new file in our forces. I finished by adding my name to it then the program asked, for a code name after a moment of thought I typed nine letters: A-N-I-M-O-R-P-H-S.

_For those who fight with me this day, shall be my brother_ ~ William Shakespeare

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	6. Old Battles & Keeping a Promise

My legs were a blur beneath me as I ran with the infirmary doctor next to me and three heart monitors on my bare chest with the bruise now almost completely gone. The treadmill like machine winded beneath me and the heart monitors gave a steady beat from my three hearts. The doctor stepped forward as I neared the fifty-mile mark and turned off the machine and I slid off and took a small sip of water from my bottle.

"Ok Commander you just went through your third physical today and the results are the same. You're in perfect health even better than your last check up when Terra dragged you here by your feet and everyone before this three.

Your white blood cell count is through the roof so I doubt you catch a Ketarian cold now and your healing would be off the scale. Your cardiovascular system is responding so well you hardly broke a sweat, which also increased your appetite from the fact you ate enough food this morning for ten regiments and forced them to wave the white flag. Your muscular structure as intensified beyond a normal Ketarian.

First, you avoid my office like the pelage and now even when I saw you're in perfect health I can't get you to leave. What is with the sudden Change of heart did something happen down in the Yeerk Pool?" he asked, and I looked at him as I pulled off the monitors and slipped on my shirt.

I sat on the examination table; he sat next to me, and after a moment of silence. "Well Ian," he said.

I looked at him. "Stan you have to swear that nobody not even my brother will hear of this because I didn't go into the details of what happened," I said.

He nodded after a moment. "You have my word," he said.

I looked away. "I think its best that you see it rather than hear about it," I said.

He nodded and stood up, I swung my legs onto the bed, and he attached a probe to my temple. After adjusting the equipment, a second bed slid out of the wall and he laid on it attaching a second probe to his temple. After a second, my eyes slid close and we were standing in my memories of what had happened in the Yeerk Pool like a pair of ghosts watching me and the other Animorphs.

The two of us watched Stan in fascination and he gasped when my second transformation occurred. At the end when I landed next to, my bike I froze the memory and we woke up in the infirmary. I sat up and detached the probe holding my head in my hand.

"That always feels weird," I muttered.

I looked at Stan as he sat up holding his head. "Ian what happened to you down in the Yeerk Pool has been proven impossible time and again by the Andalites. You can't go from one morph to another," he said, looking at me in shock.

I stood up and walked away. "I know Stan I was there on the Andalite home world when they first tested the morphing technology. They tried everything but they could not do it besides another thing. I never acquired that… whatever it was," I said, leaning against the wall.

I felt his eyes on me for a full minute until. "Then… what was it?" he asked.

I shook my head and turned to look at him. "I don't know but what really scares me is this," I said, lifting my shirt showing the bruise.

He walked up and put his hand on it and I winced slightly. "It's still a little sensitive," I said, and he nodded.

"Not surprising taking a fire ball to the chest from a full grown Vandallar," he said.

I chuckled. "You don't have to tell me I was there," I said, then looked up at the clock.

"Dame is that the time I've got to go!" I said, and grabbed my water bottle.

"Why you got a date?" Stan said, then the two of us froze as I looked at him and he slowly turned to look at me looking at me very uncomfortable.

"Ian I'm… I'm," he stuttered as I looked at him.

I raised my hand. "It's ok, I got to go meet the other Animorphs we're practicing today," I said, as I headed for the door.

"Well either way I want you back in here as soon as possible so I can run some more tests," he said, still looking uncomfortable.

I smiled as I left the room. "Ok but you know that I hate needles," I said.

As I was turning the corner, I heard him shout, "I haven't used needles since the Spanish inquisition!"

Half an hour later, I and the other Animorphs were riding the thermals in various Raptor morphs. Above me, Tobias and Rachel soared in her Eagle morph and the new body that Tobias must live the rest of his life in. Beside me, Jake soared in the same morph that I was in while Cassie and Marco soared a little higher.

{This is incredible!} Rachel yelled in our heads and I had to agree.

{I told you want to try a dive?} Tobias said.

{Sure,} Rachel said, after a moment.

{Follow me!} Tobias yelled and broke into a dive Rachel, Marco, and Cassie not far behind.

The others and I watched for a few seconds then Rachel said, {aw Tobias I just thought, of something in my Elephant morph if I was hurt I could just demorph. But here if I get hurt…,} she said letting it hang.

{Let the Eagle she knows what to do,} Tobias said.

Jake and I watched them go for a second then I turned my Falcon head to look at him. {Let's not let them have all the fun you with me?} I said.

{You don't even have to ask,} he said, and folded his wings and I tucked one close, rolled onto my back, and went head long into a dive.

{WHOAAAAAAAAAAA HO HO!} We called out as we raced past the others.

{That was a nice move you did up there,} Jake said.

{Thanks I was a fighter pilot once,} I said, then slipped into memory.

_It was 1943 I had just transferred from the Pacific front for a little action at the Battle of the Bulge. After I had bailed out I had crashed my Mustang into some German forces to save most of the Army 442 Unit and until I had got back to the nearest Allied Air base I had fought beside them. _

_After that I had been transferred to China to take command of the US Volunteer group the 45 – Flying Tigers. I remember how I had felt when I had arrived at the base my duffle over my shoulder. After storing my gear away I had borrowed a cover all and looked over the P-40 I had was assigned to. _

_As I had was finishing my hands covered in grease I had heard something and looking up t the cockpit saw what looked like a young teenage Chinese boy climb into it. _

_I had smiled then climbed up onto the wing squatting right beside him as he handled the stick. "Two Zeros one above one below with you caught in the middle what do you do?" I had asked._

_He looked at me and smiled. "I go into a roll pulling off to the side pull into a rolling climb and take out the one on top then go into a dive and take out the one below," he said._

_I smiled. "Bang your dead Zeros are too quick and mobile the one below takes you in a climb your ass just got full of lead," I had said, and he lowered his gaze in thought._

_I chuckled. "ok let's reverse the situation your hot on the tail of a Zero you have it in your sights and it goes evasive into some clouds," I had said._

_He smiled. "If I have him in my sights there's no such thing as evasive," he said._

_I shook my head laughing. "Bang your dead again five or six other Zeros lay hidden in the clouds you just got nailed by a Samurai Gang Bang," I had said, and he looked away looking discouraged._

"_What did I had damage your pride?" I had asked, eyebrows rose._

_He looked at me. "No I'm not used to taking flight tips from American Grease Monkeys," he said._

_I raised my eyebrows then looked at the other grease monkey, as I stood straight. "Sergeant!" I had barked in Mandarin and he stood strait looking at me._

_I climbed off the fighter and started to unzip the coveralls. "She'll do but the clog in the engine needs to be taken care of. I don't want a fire up there," I had said._

"_Yes Sir Lt. Hill," he said, saluting me._

_I turned back to the kid. "you, if your done playing I suggest you get out of the plane," I had said, in Mandarin and I had turned my back to the kid._

_I heard him climb out then gasp as I had guessed he read the name on the plane and I had turned to look at him face stern. _

_He looked at me his mouth wide open. "Is your father in my Squadron?" I had asked._

_He slowly nodded. "Get out of here and I won't tell him," I had said, he darted out of there and when he was a good distance away I had laughed a little shaking my head._

ZZZZZIIIIIIINNNNGG!

I was pulled out of the memory as something whizzed by my head and I pullout of the dive and I saw the object shoot through Rachel's tail feathers.

{What the…} she said, then another bullet whizzed by my head and I banked to the other side my wing muscles straining.

{Down there two creeps in a truck with a rifle.}

Looking I saw them one with short hair one with a ponytail and a ball cap both in the bed of a truck drinking beers.

{Those creeps I'm a national symbol,} Rachel said.

{I hate people who shoot birds,} Tobias said, an edge in his voice.

{Then let's have some fun,} I said, and we quickly formulated a plan.

Soon we were flying a little ways apart from each other but all kept an eye on the two guys.

{Wait for the muzzle flash,} Tobias said.

{They fired now!} Cassie said, and we banked and after a little while dove into the trees.

We kept most of the sped from the dive as we quickly weaved around the trees each feather making minor adjustments. It was like flying through a compact maze in a video game only no reset or no extra lives. Suddenly after I dodged a tree and I saw ahead of me with branches inter locked.

{This will be close!} I said, and put my bird morph into a spin and sailed right through a gap.

{Nice move} Jake said.

{Thanks} I said.

Soon we burst out of the tree line and the creeps where right in front of us and we rocketed toward them as they scanned the skies for us.

{KNOCK, KNOCK PRETTY BOYS!} I said, to the others then we converged on them.

Rachel stuck first catching the barrel of the gun in her talons and to persuade him to let go Tobias ranked the top of his head with his talons.

We were out of there in a flash with them shouting after us. "They took your gun and hat Chester and that one took my beer," one said, and everyone looked at Marco and me.

{They were way too young to be drinking,} Marco said.

{And wearing a hat like this is disrespectful in more ways than one} I said.

We headed for the cliffs, Marco and I dropped the hat and beer into a trash bin, and we flew out over the ocean and dropped the gun two miles out. We then banked back to land and into the bell tower of an old church and into the main room. As we demorphed me and Cassie were able to control the way we demorphed her looking like an Angel me like Ra before I slipped on my pants, sock, and boots over my bike shorts we morphed all the way back.

As Marco was complaining about it and I had a smile on my face when it was back to normal then my cell rang. The others looked at my bag of clothes as it hung from my bike and I answered it.

"When All Else Fails," I said.

"Ian it's us," Casey said.

"Yes how may I help you?" I said, looking at the others.

"We just got a report you should see from one of our men," Casey said, and I heard people talking in the background.

"And where would this be?" I asked.

"Paris,"

I looked at the other Animorphs as they looked at me slipping on their street clothes over their morphing uniforms. "Look right now I can't do those kind of jobs…," I said, but Casey interrupted me.

"Ian he's alone and detected Yeerk activities he needs you," he said.

I sighed looked up at the sky then looked at the Animorphs again. "Ok ma'am I'll be there in half an hour," I said, and I heard people go silent some snorting.

"_Oh no you did not bro_," Casey said, as people in the background laughed and I hung up.

I turned to the other Animorphs. "Look guys I just got a new assignment and it will take me out of town," I said, slipping on my looser shirt and denim jacket.

"Where?" Jake asked, coming out of the church the others right behind him Tobias right on Rachel's shoulder.

"Paris it's a bodyguard job I should be back in a week or two, so don't get into any fun without me ok?" I said, picking up my helmet from my bike.

"Hey how did you get out the Yeerk Pool again?"

I turned back to look at Cassie. "First I found a place to hide and then this _thing with wings_ grabs me and carries me off through the hole in the top. It let me go then soared off when we were out. I was out of there as fast as I could and headed back to my place to nightmares that I didn't have for a long time," I said, then slipped my helmet on and climbed onto my bike.

I started it up then looked at them raising the visor. "I'll give you guys a call when I get back, don't do anything crazy until then ok I don't want you guys to have all the fun," I said, then gunned the engine popping wheel.

Once out of sight of the other Animorphs I pressed the side of my helmet and silently it opened and I pressed one of the buttons it concealed. On the screen of the visor a appeared radar that moved as I moved down the road in a top corner, a line of rapid fire computer calculations for the bike and other things. I then pressed another button, Casey's face soon appeared, and he did not look happy to see me.

"_When you get back here I am so going to hurt you!_" he growled and I chuckled.

"Hey remember its part of the role I have to play, so who's the man that contacted the base?" I said, under his glaring eyes.

He looked at me eyes still blazing. "Chang," he said, and my eyes went wide.

"I'll be there in ten minutes," I said.

"Go straight to Karl you'll be briefed on the flight to Paris," he said, then his face vanished.

I gunned the engine as fast as I could and made for the closest entrance of the base. I made my way down the cliff then at the bottom made for a solid wall of rock between two tall pillars of rocks the sand and small rocks rocketing into the air behind me. I drove at the wall at a break neck pace and just before impact, the wall lifted up and I sped inside and the door closed as soon as I was in.

I rocketed down the metal lined hall the engine's roar echoed and soon I came to a stop and I put the kickstand down, slipped off my helmet, and looked around.

The room was excessively large full of equipment and projects being tested under watchful eyes. Some people either walking or running seeing me stopped in their tracks to salute me before continuing. I climbed off the bike, walked through the people, and ducked as one person was launched from his seat and a couple people laughed behind hands and I spotted Karl behind them arms crossed looking stern.

He looked about my age now with jet-black hair and a full beard but still held that bald patch that met his forehead. His arms were broad and muscular from use. Over the millennia's his engineering skill had vastly improved to the point where some say he can tell what a machine will do before it happens.

As if sensing his presence they stopped laughing and slowly turned to face him. "Do tell me what's so funny," he requested of them.

They stuttered a little bit them his fists went to his sides. "Time and again I told the three of you not to fool around and I hear or see you fooling around again. You will clean every tool, chip, or in other words everything in this room including their insides. _Do You Get Me_!" he said, the last part growling.

They nodded and quickly darted away and right past me and that's when Karl noticed me and smiled. "Ian what brings you down here? Did Casey contact you?" he asked, and I nodded then caught sight of something behind him.

"Is that the new prototype Shroud Fighter?" I asked, walking over.

The fighter was about a fourth the size of a standard Yeerk Bug fighter with two blasters on either side of the cockpit. It was shaped somewhat like a Japanese arrowhead that was cut in half with the cockpit pit in the middle of the wings.

The wings thrusted forward beyond the cockpit before curving back each thickening as it went back behind the cockpit and engines. The wing then curved at a thin edge that curved back and into the main body.

"How the development coming?" I asked, crossing my arms admiring it.

He came up to me hands on his hips admiring what he called 'his baby.'

"She's still got a few kinks to work out in that new shield feature but don't worry Ian my baby will be ready soon enough for mass production," he said.

I smiled. "I still can't believe you figured out how to give this fighter temporary invincibility with the shields," I said, walking up to it running a hand on it.

He laughed. "Not invincible but close," he said, following me.

"And the new Warp Gate Drive?" I asked.

He sighed. "Ian, understand that were creating a drive that is deeper than Hyperspace which is deeper than Z-space," he said.

"How many unmanned probes survived?" I asked.

"Four out of six,"

I sighed. "Keep working on it Karl you'll get it sooner or later, now what do have for me on this mission?" I asked.

He smiled a waved his hand and I followed he led me to the back where some new motorcycles waited along with one of the assistant next to it. He led me to a new Kawasaki Ninja and ran his hand along it.

"If you'll have it this is your new Motorcycle, Ian with a few added features," he said, and then nodded to the assistant who pressed a button on the remote that he moved from behind his back.

The frame behind the front wheel slid out revealing a line of missiles each were powerful enough to disable a Bug fighter shield with a well-placed shot even destroy it. And each missile was the size of a pencil.

"Fifty micro missiles with a shield for your legs range a little more than a human sidewinder," Karl said, then the assistant pressed another button and the missiles retracted.

Then two blasters popped out just below the head light. "Two guided lasers, but you have to be looking at the target," he said, and I nodded as the lasers retracted and the back end split open from the bottom showing two more missiles these ones slightly larger.

"two more missiles in the rear mount they hold much more of a punch and five times the range but they're not as maneuverable, but powerful enough to punch through ten feet of the strongest titanium easily," he said, and I nodded.

The missiles slid back into place then the head light emitted a flash and Karl and his assistant smiled. "You got to be kidding," I chuckled stepping forward kneeling down looking at the head light.

"To quote a very good engineer and inventor 'I never joke about my work'," he said, and I laughed a little and reached forward and felt the shield stop my hand a few feet from the bike.

I stood up looking at him. "My friend I know you're a big fan and all but you really need to lay off the Bond movies," I said, and I was tossed the helmet and I slipped it on.

After checking the configurations myself, I slipped it off. "It's good it's very good I just hope that whatever Chang called me for I won't need all this," I said, then noticed a button on the fuel tank.

I pressed it and it split open revealing a small box, pistol magazines and other equipment. I reached in, removed a silver band, and looked at him shaking it.

"Just in case," I muttered and he nodded.

"Just in case," he said.

I smiled. "But not needed," I said, showing the silver band that was on my wrist.

He chuckled. "I was wondering where that one was and now I see you took it," he said.

"Took it I can't get the dame thing off," I said, and he laughed then slowly stopped when he saw that I hadn't joined him.

"So you really can't get it off?" he asked, and I shook my head.

"Not since when Elfangor gave me and the Animorphs the morphing power," I said.

At this, he scratched his beard in thought. "Hmm I'll have to think about this one for a while oh by the way here is your fight information you leave in three hours," he said, handing me a envelope as I climbed onto the bike and slipped on the helmet.

"Three hours got it but there's something I got to do first before I get on that plane," I said, slipping on the helmet.

"What?" Karl asked, as I turned on the ignition and I roared the engine to life and people got out of my way.

I looked at him the visor still raised. "Keeping a promise," I said, then snapped the visor down and twisted the accelerator and popped a wheelie out of the room.

Less than an hour later, I stopped outside a rundown apartment building looking around the neighborhood. Most of the buildings where covered in gang graffiti and territory signs by spray paint some faded and some I noticed where quite fresh. What buildings that didn't have the graffiti where mainly pawnshops with various items on display including firearms except for a grocery store and a Chinese restaurant.

Here and there, people stood and various people approached them and I saw the quick exchange of money and small plastic bag with various contents.

I sighed after I slid my helmet off after putting the kickstand down. _I can see why you spend so much time in your hawk morph Tobias,_ I thought, then grabbed a kid no older then Tobias right off his skateboard as he went by.

He looks at me as I held his arm his backpack hanging off one arm his cloths where baggy. "What do you want man?" he demanded.

I snapped my fingers and held out my hand. "You know what I want I saw you back there," I said.

He glared at me. "I don't know what you're talking about!" he said, trying to wrench free but my grip held.

My eyes bore into him and he shifted uneasily. "Hey if you're a cop I don't have to say nothing, you hear me _nothing_," he said.

I continued to stare at him, he continued to look at me, and I saw beads of sweet appear. "What are you like some kind of freak?" he asked, shakily.

I continued to stare and the very slowly he reached into his bag and quietly handed me a large plastic bag full of smaller ones containing a white powder. I closed my hand around it, looked down at the contents, and sighed.

I looked back up at him. "You got homework to do kid?" I asked, and he nodded vigorously.

"Then go home and do it and while you're at say sorry to your parents," I said, and he nodded and started to go then was lurched back as he found I was still holding him.

He looked at me somewhat scared now. "What? I gave you my whole stash man," he said.

"Money to," I said, and he groaned and after giving my icy stare a pleading look handed me a large rolls of hundreds.

As he boarded away I sighed pocketing the drugs. _So young and to be involved in things like this_, I thought, and walked into the building.

Soon I was outside a paint-peeling door with people shout at people in other apartments. I looked around at the unsightly area and knocked on the door and few minutes went by.

"Who the hell are you?" asked, a groggy voice on the other side of the door and I pullout a leather ID case that quickly acquired a badge that I needed.

"Afternoon sir Social Services," I said, showing my badge to the key hole.

I heard a groan then the locks slid back and the door opened showing a poorly dressed man in a bathrobe sleeveless shirt and boxers. A very large bald spot was on his head and in his hand was a large beer can. I let out a light puff of air as I smelled a heavy odor of beer a on him as well as other things.

"What? did the neighbors complain again?" he asked, and then took another draft from the can.

_Again?_ I thought, as I slipped the ID back in to my jacket inside pocket.

"No we're just checking up on Tobias is he in?" I said.

The man shook his head. "The boy isn't here he's with that bitch on the other coast," he said, and I nodded.

"Well I still have to look at the environment Tobias has been living in," I said, and a moment later, he shrugged and stepped aside.

I walked in and scratched my nosed to get some relief from the stench. _I suddenly wish that my senses were at human level,_ I thought, then a gray and white fluffy cat came up and rubbed itself against my legs.

By the time, I left and dumped the drugs down the very, very dirty toilet I was in the mood for the longest shower of my life. Still cringing in disgust I pulled out a small hair I had taken from what I hopped was Tobias's hairbrush. I pulled out a human palm pilot from my pocket and looked around as I leaned against my bike and pressed a hidden button on the side and a small slot opened at the bottom.

I placed the hair inside and instantly later, it slid back in and a DNA code appeared in the screen and thankfully, Tobias's name came up. I isolated the specific genes I wanted and did a search and there was a small humming sound as the pilot connected to one of our satellites and hacked every hospital in the city. A few seconds later, a name and address popped up.

I walked the several blocks to new apartment building and was soon at a little bit quieter and cleaner apartment floor.

After knocking a dog's bark answered with a soft voice saying. "Down Champ, who is it."

I shifted uncomfortably. "Ah, Loren Fangor?" I asked.

"Yes,"

I started to say something then looked up at the ceiling and at the floor exhaling slowly _god I hate doing these,_ I thought.

"My name is Ian Dresari I knew your husband, and I know your son Tobias," I said.

"My hus… _Tobias_," she said, then I heard movement and the door was soon opened to a darkened room.

I looked at her, her face shadowed. "You, you know Tobias?" she asked, and I nodded.

"Come in come in," she said, quickly and I walked in and was greeted by a very friendly German Sheppard.

"So how do you know Tobias?" she asked, closing the door behind her and I scratched the dog behind his ears and he snuggled closer.

"I work at a Big Brothers program part time and with Tobias," I said, looking around the apartment all in gloom then I saw the harness.

"Oh," I muttered under my breath.

"'oh' what?" Loren demanded.

"I… I… I didn't realize at first…," I started.

"That I was blind," she said, a little cold and she walked to the kitchen.

I sighed. "You know if you want me to go," I said, standing straight.

"No, no I'm sorry it's been years and I still get a little sensitive, but now I must ask how do you know Tobias's father? And how do know he is?" she said.

I smiled and stood up and followed her in and in the sun light from the window, I saw the scars on her eyes as she leaned against the sink.

"What do you remember of him?" I asked.

"Nothing, I can't remember anything before the accident I didn't even know I was pregnant until the doctor there told me," she said.

"He and I served together and I have been searching for you and I just came to deliver a message from him," I said.

"Why didn't he come himself?" she asked.

I lowered my eyes and then looked at her and saw a tear form in her eye that reflected in the sun. "He's dead isn't he?" she asked, and she rubbed a ring on her finger.

I nodded. "Yes he wanted me to tell you that he never stopped loving you and that he always will, and that leaving you was the hardest thing he ever did. But you and Tobias were always on his mind," I said, she sniffed, and a small smile appeared on her face.

I shuffled my feet a little then laid the money from the kid on the counter. "I'd better be going," I said, and turned.

Her hand caught my arm and I looked at her milky white eyes. "No wait, you can stay and what's this?" she asked, picking up the money with her other hand.

"Small part of a collection that me and the guys started when he died its all hundreds, but I really have to go I've got a plane in about an hour," I said, and she nodded.

"Stop by anytime I would like to know more about Tobias and my husband," she said.

I nodded. "I'd like that," I said.

**PLEASE REVIEW**


	7. Old Family Freinds

An hour later, I was in the first class section of a concord plane for Paris looking out the window. I was admiring the many shapes of the clouds when I felt a tap on the shoulder.

I turned to the passenger and he pointed to the flight attendant and I smiled. "how my I help you?' I asked, elbow on my armrest chin in my hand.

"I was wondering if you wanted to watch an in-flight movie," she said.

I smiled. "I prefer the theater and I would love to see your angel face on stage," I said, and she blushed.

"Would you prefer Les Miserable's?" she asked.

I gave her a side look. "Well if your persistent why don't you pick one out for me Angel Face," I said, and she handed me the film and I handed her a tip a note hidden in the folded bill.

The note said.

_It's nice to see you Janet and tell Casey that Les Miserable's was a nice touch also say hi to your husband for me._

She smiled and walked away pocketing the bill and the passenger in the seat next to me looked at me. "Smooth man real smooth," he said, as I unfolded my private screen, slipped a pair of headphones, and slid the tape in.

I ignored him and pressed play, Chang's face appeared, and he smiled. "Hi Commander Dresari I'm sorry if I'm pulling you from your end of the fight. However, I don't think anyone but you can help me. A little while now, I've been following large orders for construction items and materials.

At first, we thought, it was just a rich family wanting to indulge their wealth until I cased one of the buildings. I found that a good number of people doing the ordering were Controllers. Now I know that Controllers are building something big but we don't know where or what.

We may know more when you land in Paris and I'll see you at the front gate. See you there my friend," he said, then the screen flickered and the movie started as the small disc that held Chang's message disintegrated in the tape.

After the plane landed in Charles de Gaulle and I went into the front gate and almost immediately spotted Chang and he waved me over. I hefted my carry one over my shoulder and he and I grasped forearms then pulled each other into a hug.

When we broke apart, he smiled at me and we started walking out of the airport to where my bike had been unloaded. "You want a ride Chang?" I asked, after slipping on to the bike.

He shook his head. "I got a ride over here," he said, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder.

I nodded. "Where will I meet you?" I asked, and he handed me a slip of paper.

I looked at it then crumpled it and put it in my pocket. "I'll see you there," I said, and drove off.

Half an hour later, he came into the loft as I was looking out at the Eiffel Tower from a window in the loft. "Nice move with the key tapped to the paper," I said, and looked at him.

He smiled and looked at my stuff on the sofa. "I see you made yourself at home, has Paris Changed much in the years you've been here," he said, and put his coat on the rack by the door.

"Let's see what you got," I said, walking forward.

"Where you this pushy with my grandfather?" he asked, smiling as he and I started for the bathroom.

I looked at him then looked at the bathroom door as I slipped back in to memory.

_1943…_

_I was flying my fighter around the sky as the Flying Tigers were in a dogfight with Japanese Zeros as they tried to keep us off their bombers. It was just after we got a new shipment of fighter of P-51s and a month after my transfer._

_A Zero fell out of my sights nothing more than a fireball. "Red One Fighter Coming up Your Ass!" Chang's Great Grandfather said, over the radio and my head whipped around to see the Zero._

"_GET HIM OFF MY ASS!" I yelled back pulling my fighter in to a climb as bullets fired below me._

_I pulled spiraling up doing my best for the Zero not to get a clear shot. "All most there Sir GOT HIM!" Chang's Great Grandfather said, and I looked around and saw the fight fall back to earth a ball of fire._

"_There's another one for the man AAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHH-HH!" Chang's Great Grandfather said, and whipped around and saw his plane fall from the sky a wing missing and the Zero come at me._

_I pulled into the clouds and once out he was right behind me and opened fire. I pulled a short pin then dived into the clouds. He followed me and right through the clods as he searched for me I burst through coming him in a dive guns blazing sawing off both wings._

"_That's for Williams," I said, as I blew by the burning debris and rejoined the rest of the squadron._

"You all right Commander Dresari?"

I looked at Chang and nodded as we stood in his bathroom, which was somewhat small. It had the normal appliances with a small mirror over a small sink and a small inverted window so nobody could see in.

"Yeah I'm fine, and Chang you're not part of Ketarian Military you can just call me Ian," I said, and he nodded.

He turned one of the faucets in the shower to the right and the water came on then flushed the toilet and as it flushed, pressed the handle down in a coded order. I looked at the mirror as a touch pad key pad appeared in it. He tapped in his code and the numbers vanished but for a small box and he stood still as his retinal was scanned and he put his finger in the mirror frame and winced.

The sink collapsed into its self then it and a section of the wall collapsed onto itself to the floor and a lift stood open for us and we walked in. once in the door closed behind us then after a second later a door opened in front of us and we walked into room like a smaller version of the Tac room at the main base.

As we walked in the lights and equipment came to life. "I always wondered how far down that lift went," Chang said, as he sat down at the computer.

"Below the catacombs," I said, and looked at the computer screen.

"I remember that building," I said, as a building came into view.

"I'm not surprised you were probably there when they broke ground," Chang said.

"More like when they when they were drawing up the blueprints," I said, looking at him and walked around the holo screen.

"Give me the room they're in," I said, and it quickly appeared.

I thought, for a moment, pressed a second of the room, and dragged so we were looking at it from above with a cut away view.

"Have you tried to go in yourself?" I asked.

"I tried to hack in five times didn't even scratch they're firewalls," he said, and I nodded.

"Then tonight we'll try a different approach," I said.

"What kind of an approach?" he asked, and I looked at him a smile on my face and he suddenly looked worried.

**PLEASE REVIEW**


	8. A Different Approach

That night I darted through the shadows of the roof of the building wearing all black. My pistol drawn and the box on my hip as I looked around for security measures my face covered by a ski mask. When I reached the roof access, I tried to open it then found it was locked.

Sighing I pressed one gloved finger to the lock and after a moment tried again and it opened and I slipped inside. I silently walked down the stair then flatted myself against the corner with a security camera. I reached into one pocket, drew what looked like a small coin, and pressed it to the camera's underside.

"Chang you got video?" I asked, under my breath.

"Clear as a bell, you're clear and you are the invisible man," he said, into my ear the ear and mouthpiece embedded in the cloth.

Keeping to the shadows then stopping whenever Chang warned me of a janitor or security. When I reached the right room, I tried the handle and found it locked and pressed my finger against it.

"You know there's something I don't get?" Chang said, in my ear.

"What's that," I said, removing my finger away from the lock and the Nano bots which had shaped into a copy of the key then reformed against my glove.

"If the Ketarians are so advanced in technology why didn't you wear a suit with like a cloaking devise on it? So you'd be invisible to the naked eye," he said.

"We got things like that I just don't see the fun in it," I said, then tried the door again and found it still locked.

"This door is sealed with Yeerk tech and the window outside is most likely cover with a shield I got get through another way," I said, kneeling down.

"Ok… IAN GUARD ON YOUR RIGHT!" he yelled and I spun grabbing the weapon attached to the small of my back aimed and fired and the beam hit he guard who fell before he saw me.

I exhaled lightly, turned back to the door, and ran a gloved hand over the wall next to the door.

"The guard?" Chang asked concern in his voice.

"Will wake with one heck of a headache in a few hours but he'll be just fone, and the beam's signature is close enough to a Andalite Shredder that it will fool Yeerk scans, that is if they do a scan of the area tomorrow," I said, and my hand froze as a small section of the wall shimmered at eye level and my eyes narrowed.

"Hologram," I muttered, pressed my hand close and a small pulse erupted, and the hologram vanished.

"Dame!" I muttered under my breath.

"What is it?"

"A Yeerk scanner," I said, pulling back my sleeve revealing the band on my wrist.

I brought it close and muttered. "interface," and two metal probes connected to the scanner and a moment later the door opened with a barely plausible hiss.

I slipped inside and looked around the two room large office going to the desk. "The computer?" Chang asked, me.

"Yeerks wouldn't use a Human computer their egos wouldn't allow them, that thing is probably hybrided with their own technology, so I can't risk using it," I said, and started pulling open drawers and pulling out the files.

"Then why paper work?"

"They got to do things legally,"

For ten minutes I searched the office for the files I needed one was locked which was quickly fixed when I wrenched the draw open then closed repairing the lock. I was starting to get frustrated when I noticed something about one of the file drawers. I closed my eyes to listen as I slid it closed part way and my eyes snapped open as I heard an almost silent beep.

I experimented with the drawer until I got the combination right and another beep sounded and I spun around to the desk. The desktop tower split in half reveling a set of paper work which I crossed the office and sized and looked over.

"I got it, scanning and preparing to send," I muttered after laying the papers on the desk ran my other hand over then scanning them to Chang's computer.

"I got the data here Ian now get your ass out of there," Chang said, as I replaced the files and closed their compartment before removing all traces of my being there.

Outside the office, I relocked the door, activated the hologram again, and went back the way I came. On the way, I encountered two guards that I couldn't by pass as they were going my way. I fell into step behind them and when they froze hearing me I froze. Suddenly they wheel around flash light's beams piercing the dark where I had been and as they scratched their head in confusion I dropped silently to the floor a dozen feet ahead of them and continued on.

Darted through the hallways and back up the stairs after retrieving the uplink from the camera. Once I was back on my bike mask off, my helmet on I drove out of there. When I got back to the loft and joined Chang in his TAC room and he was looking over the data I had gathered.

"Anything useful?" I asked, he looked over his shoulder at me.

"I've just been glancing over the surface for now but so far from what I can tell they're just order forms, for large equipment," he said, sitting back.

I frowned at this and started looking at the scanned papers. "Why would they want large equipment and keep it locked up like that?" I said.

"I also noticed something else this word keeps popping up and I don't have a clue what it means," Chang said, and he pointed.

I narrowed my eyes at the word. "'Balonkinick' that's the Yeerk word for burrow or den," I said, then yawned.

"Look its late we'd better hit the hay and look these over in the morning," I said, he nodded, and we headed back upstairs.

For hours, I laid awake on the couch my mind racing over the night's events after the clock struck two I gave up and climbed off the couch. I made my way down to the TAC room wearing nothing but a pair of sweat shorts. After ten minutes of going through the documents, I turned as Chang came into the room wearing a bathrobe hands in the pockets.

"You to eh?" he said, walking in and I nodded and he sat down next to me.

"I wanted to ask you something earlier where did you learn to do those things tonight when you got these?" he asked, looking at them.

"Feudal Japan," I said.

"Samurai?" he asked.

"And Ninja," I answered and I felt his eyes on me.

"Whoa," he muttered looking away.

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	9. On the Move

After an hour of hard work, I got up and left for the apartment upstairs when I returned I gave him a cup of coffee and organic tea for myself.

"What was he like?"

I looked at him the cup on my lips and I looked at him as steam rose from the mug of coffee.

I slowly lowered the mug looking at him. "Your grandfather?" I asked.

He nodded. "He died before I was born and you and your wife practically raised me. I want to know," he said, looking up at me.

He and I looked at each other for a moment and I put the cup down. "He was a strong man who always did the right thing. However he also had an incurable stubborn streak to him if he set his mind on something nothing could stop him from achieving his goal," I said, giving a small chuckle.

"I remember this one time he and I went rabbit hunting so I could cook him a secret family recipe I learned. We had just about caught the Rabbit when it darted…in…to…its den…," I said, then drifted off eyes growing wide.

"What? What happened?" Chang asked, eagerly.

Without saying a word, I bent over the computer and touching the holo documents flipped through them scanning them until I stopped. I quickly scanned it and with a small smile on my face pointed at it.

"What does this equipment have in common?" I asked.

Chang looked it over. "It's digging equipment," he said.

"It's excavation equipment," I said, and he looked from me to the document.

"Why would the Yeerks want this kind of equipment when they can just use Dracon Beam to blast through rock?" he asked.

"because Yeerks are opportunistic, they're not going to break their backs to dig a new hole when they can find one already there no longer in use, how many mines are around Paris? Because whatever they're building its underground," I said, sitting down my tea forgotten.

For minutes, we searched every database in Paris and soon a holographic 3-d map hovered before us. On the map in various distances of the city several dot appeared discolored arias on the terrains.

"Of the ten mines in the area four are in no populated areas and active, two are deemed condemned and the nearby town deserted, two caved in years back and two are perfect for the Yeerks recently bought up and quite close to medium sized towns," Chang said, reading through the list.

I brought the two up and looked at them for a few minutes thinking. "Which one has a larger population, closer to Paris, and better access to the Highway?" I asked.

After a moment, the dots were reduced to one and I leaned on the council. "Gottcha you sluggish bastards," I muttered.

Over the next hour me and Chang got ready in the supply room just off the his TAC room to first scout out the mine then decide if we needed help. "You know you didn't really answer my question," Chang sad as I checked the power packs on my blasters.

I stopped and looked at him from my bike. "There's really not much else to tell but he was a good man and my friend," I said, he nodded, and I lowered my eyes.

**_1943…_**

_It was a couple of hours after the squadron had gotten back to base and me and the Base CO arrived at Chang's Great Grandfather's family house to deliver the news. His Great Grandmother was crying very hard her face in her hands while Chang's grandfather the teenager I caught in my plane stared at me in shock along with his sister._

_I took a hesitating breath. "Ma'am I am deeply sorry for your loss your husband was one of the best pilots I ever flew with. And it has been an honor to know him especially since he saved my life today…," I started to say in Mandarin._

"_Did you repay it?"_

_The CO and I looked at Chang's grandfather as he looked at us with ice in his eyes and I nodded. "Yes I shot down the pilot that killed your father," I said._

_He looked at me the ice still in his eyes and in one fluid motion stood up. "I wish to take my father's place in the Squadron, my father taught me how to fly just as good as him," he said, and his mother gapped up at him._

_He and I looked at each other and I shook my head. "No you're too young and you need to stay home and look after your family," I said, he looked at me for a few minutes then stormed out of the room and I watched him go._

I blinked several times as the memory faded and I slipped my helmet on and turned the ignition of my bike. I gunned the engine a couple of times then tore out of his exit tunnel. I weaved my way through it, came out in an alley near The Louv, and turned down the street.

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